Netanyahu says he will seek to dismiss the head of Israel’s internal security service

Netanyahu plans to dismiss Shin Bet director amid power struggle over Hamas attack responsibility.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday (March 16, 2025) that he will bring a vote to the government this week to dismiss the director of the country's internal security service, the Shin Bet, capping a month-long power struggle stemming from the Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

Mr. Netanyahu said he has had “ongoing distrust” with Ronen Bar, and "this distrust has grown over time.” The decision comes after an increasingly acrimonious dispute between the men focused largely on who bears responsibility for the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack that sparked the war in Gaza.

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The Shin Bet is responsible for monitoring Palestinian militant groups. It recently issued a report accepting responsibility for its failures around the Oct. 7 attack. But it also criticized Netanyahu, saying failed government policies helped create the climate that led to the attack.

The tensions boiled over this weekend when Bar’s predecessor, Nadav Argaman, said he would release sensitive information about Mr. Netanyahu if it is found that the prime minister had broken the law. Netanyahu accused Argaman of blackmail and filed a police complaint.

The Shin Bet did not have an immediate response to Mr. Netanyahu's announcement.

Mr. Netanyahu has resisted calls for an official State commission of inquiry into the Oct. 7 attack and has tried to blame the failures on the army and security agencies. In recent months, a number of senior security officials, including a defense minister and army chief, have been fired or forced to step down.