Israeli spy chief quits after Netanyahu standoff

Cairo — The head of Israel’s domestic intelligence service, Ronen Bar, has announced his resignation and will step down on June 15, Israeli media reported late on Monday, six weeks after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tried to oust the security chief.

The Shin Bet, which handles counterterrorism investigations, has been at the centre of a growing political battle pitting Netanyahu’s right-wing coalition government against an array of critics ranging from members of the security establishment to families of hostages in Gaza.

Netanyahu said on March 16 that he had long ago lost confidence in Bar and that trust in the head of the domestic security service, whose roles include counterterrorism and security for government officials, was especially crucial in war.

The Supreme Court later temporarily froze the government’s bid to sack Bar, who claimed that Netanyahu wanted to fire him after he refused to fulfil requests that included spying on Israeli protesters and disrupting the leader’s corruption trial.

Netanyahu, in response to the accusations, accused Bar of lying.

Reuters