Amir Rapaport’s Column: Shin Bet Director Not Expected to Step Down Following Chief of Staff's Resignation

Israel Intelligence Agency (Shin Bet) Director Ronen Bar is not expected to resign following the resignation of IDF Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi and will remain in his position for at least several more months. This assessment comes from defense officials amid significant pressure on Bar not to step down.

It is worth noting that Ronen Bar has already publicly taken responsibility for the Shin Bet’s role in the failure of October 7. However, he is not expected to step down until, in his view, the conditions for doing so are in place.

The strongest pressure on Ronen Bar not to resign is coming from within the Shin Bet itself, with the argument that one of the agency’s core missions is the protection of democracy. Many within the Shin Bet fear that the government might appoint a director aligned with the political leadership, similar to what is perceived as the government’s takeover of the Israel Police following the appointment of Commissioner Dani Levy through an exceptionally fast-track promotion. The defense establishment believes that if Ronen Bar resigns or is dismissed, many within the organization, including senior officials, will follow suit.

The defense establishment also assesses that another reason Ronen Bar does not intend to resign in the near future is his ongoing, around-the-clock efforts to secure the return of the hostages, as well as the need to complete the Shin Bet’s internal investigations. Another factor is Bar’s reported desire for at least two candidates with the appropriate background from within the organization to be eligible to compete for his position—only after having held a series of key roles, including that of Shin Bet deputy director.

Currently, the only candidate from within the Shin Bet for the position of the next director is M., who completed his tenure as deputy director about two months ago and is in a waiting period ahead of the selection process. The current deputy director, B., is still too new in the role to be considered a viable contender to succeed Bar.

Meanwhile, the defense establishment assesses that Herzi Halevi’s resignation is a significant moral blow to Ronen Bar, as the two have been very close since their service together in Sayeret Matkal (the General Staff’s special reconnaissance unit) and grew even closer while working closely together since the outbreak of the war. Bar is also very close to Mossad Director Dadi Barnea; both served as parallel team commanders in Sayeret Matkal decades ago and are now working closely on the mission to bring the hostages home.

Meanwhile, those close to Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi fear that he may experience deep heartbreak after stepping down in early March, similar to the immense personal pain felt by the late Chief of Staff David Elazar following the failures of the Yom Kippur War. In the meantime, the main question occupying the IDF is who will replace Halevi. 

As we reported in back in December, Halevi was already set to resign at the time, and Defense Ministry Director General Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir remains the undisputed frontrunner to succeed him. This assessment still holds, despite the defense minister also interviewing the departing Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. Amir Baram and former Ground Forces Commander Maj. Gen. Tamir Yadai.

The defense establishment is also working around the clock to implement agreements for the return of the hostages and a ceasefire in Gaza, while also dealing with the tense situation following the conclusion of the first phase of the ceasefire in Lebanon.

Regarding negotiations with Hamas, knowledgeable sources say that the framework for the next stages of the deal is "completely vague," and it is not at all clear how the transition from Stage A of the agreement to the next stage will take place. The agreement could unravel before all the hostages from Stage A are returned, but ultimately, everything depends on U.S. President Donald Trump, who is set to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington next week.

According to security sources, Trump’s envoy, Steve Witkoff, consolidated Netanyahu’s previous positions in a meeting they held in Jerusalem before the new president's appointment. Now, there is a strong likelihood that Trump will push Netanyahu to move forward with the next stages of the deal. At the same time, the defense establishment is preparing for a breakthrough in the normalization process with Saudi Arabia, which is highly likely to occur if fighting in Gaza does not resume.