In call with bereaved father, Shin Bet head defends decision to hold off on resigning
In phone call following stormy High Court hearing earlier this month over government’s vote to fire him, Ronen Bar says he wants to resign, but must weigh timing responsibly
In a tense conversation earlier this month, Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar told a bereaved father that he has no desire to remain in his position at the helm of the security agency but has not yet found the appropriate opportunity to resign.
A recording of the April 12 phone call between Bar and the bereaved parent was aired by Channel 12 on Sunday evening, amid the government’s ongoing efforts to have the security chief removed from his post.
During the call, Bar told the father — who was speaking to him as a representative of some 350 bereaved parents — that he believes resigning from the security agency is the correct thing for him to do, but that “competing values” dictate he be responsible with the timing of his departure.
The bereaved father, who was not identified, said to Bar at the start of the conversation: “I represent many bereaved families, and we feel that the way you’re handling the end of your tenure, sir, is creating a very, very problematic and very painful situation.”
According to multiple reports in recent weeks, Bar has stated his intention to resign as the head of the Shin Bet due to its part in the failures surrounding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led invasion and massacre.
At the same time, however, he has expressed an intention to stay on until all the remaining hostages are returned from Gaza and a state commission of inquiry is launched into the deadly assault, in which some 1,200 people were killed and 251 were seized as hostages.
On the call with the bereaved father, Bar told him that he believes leaders such as himself have an obligation to take responsibility after major failures, and that “taking responsibility” would mean, in this case, resigning from his position.
But given the ongoing threats that the state faces, Bar said, he has not yet had the opportunity to do so responsibly.
“This may be what weighs on me more than anything else,” Bar told the bereaved father. “I have no desire to continue in my role.”
“Anyone, and most certainly anyone who declared… that he is taking responsibility, should at least be given the possibility to resign,” Bar said. But, he continued, “that possibility wasn’t given to me.”
“What does it mean to ‘take responsibility’ if you stay in your position?” the bereaved father asked.
“Taking responsibility means resignation,” Bar responded, “resignation, unequivocally,” adding: “and not two days before the end of your position, which is just a symbolic resignation.”
But, he said, “in roles like these, you’re always weighing competing values.”
“I’m in a day-to-day dilemma on this front, from the standpoint of citizens’ security, what’s the precise timing that would be right for me to do this,” he said.
Bar also noted the threats that his family has come under amid the controversy, telling the bereaved father, “I am paying my price. My daughter can’t go to school, she’s made to listen to provocations that come, now, with the permission and authority [of those in power].”
“My order of priorities, that I’ve always had for 35 years in the service, I am certainly not going to crush in the last weeks of my tenure — it’s the state, the agency, and then me,” he said.
“And I hear what you’re saying, it’s not going over my head — I hear it, with great pain. And I will try to put an end to this story,” Bar added.
The conversation took place the day after a contentious hearing at the High Court of Justice surrounding the government’s effort to fire Bar, which saw numerous disruptions by bereaved families demanding Bar’s ouster.
The court ruled that Bar would remain in his position for the time being while the government and the attorney general’s office were encouraged to reach a compromise surrounding the procedural issues surrounding the unprecedented firing.
The right-wing Gvura Forum, representing dozens of families of fallen soldiers in the current war, said in an open letter last week that Bar had promised them he would resign by May 15.
In an affidavit to the High Court, Bar then said that he intended to announce a date for his resignation in short order, although did not say when that would be.
The disclosure of Bar’s apparent commitment to resign in the coming weeks is significant, since it would likely mean the High Court could avoid ruling on petitions against his dismissal, and so avoid a possible constitutional crisis.
In recent days, the controversy surrounding Bar’s firing has continued to spiral, with the Shin Bet chief and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu trading accusations of misconduct and lying.
In his affidavit, Bar asserted that Netanyahu demanded he be personally loyal to the premier, and said it was made clear to him that he needed to obey Netanyahu and not the Supreme Court in the event of a constitutional crisis.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has accused Bar of bearing “massive and direct responsibility” for failing to prevent the October 7 invasion, saying the Shin Bet chief failed to alert him or the defense minister, and that his evaluation of the developing security situation was deficient in the extreme.
Jeremy Sharon contributed to this report.
The Times of Israel Community.