Ronen Bar (Hebrew: רונן בר; born December 25, 1965)[2] is an Israeli intelligence officer and the director of the Israeli Security Agency (commonly referred to as Shin Bet, Shabak, or ISA) since 13 October 2021. He replaced Nadav Argaman, after having served as his deputy since 2018. Bar was appointed by Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his nomination was approved by Israel's cabinet on 11 October 2021.[3] He assumed office on 13 October 2021.[4]
Ronen Bar | |
|---|---|
| רונן בר | |
_(cropped).jpg) | |
| Nationality | Israeli |
| Alma mater | Tel Aviv University Harvard University[1] |
| Occupation | Intelligence official |
| Espionage activity | |
| Allegiance |  Israel |
| Service branch | Shabak |
| Service years | 1993–present |
| Rank | Director |
Biography
editRonen Bar was born in Rehovot under the name Ronen Beresovsky.[5] Bar joined the IDF in 1984 and served as a soldier and officer in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit.[6] After finishing his military service in 1988, Bar opened a cafe in Tel Aviv called "Bagdad Cafe". He joined Shin Bet as a field agent in 1993,[3] and in 2011 was named head of Shin Bet's Operations Division.[6] Bar became head of the resource development department in 2016, and became Shin Bet deputy chief in 2018.[6] Bar is expected to serve as director until 2026.[4]
Bar holds a BA in Political Science and Philosophy from the Tel Aviv University with honors,[7] and an MA in Public Management from Harvard University. He is fluent in Arabic in addition to Hebrew
Role in and after Hamas attack on Israel
editIn an all-staff memo made public on Monday, 16 October 2023, Bar took responsibility for failing to thwart the 7 October 2023 attack by Hamas. "The responsibility is mine. Despite a series of actions we carried out, unfortunately, on Saturday we were unable to establish sufficient deterrence so as to thwart the attack," he wrote. "There will be time for investigations. Now we are fighting."[8]
In a recording revealed on 3 December 2023, Bar was heard to say that after the 7 October Hamas attack, Israel would kill Hamas's leaders "in every location," even if it takes years. "We are determined to do it, this is our Munich," referring to Israeli efforts to retaliate against terrorists responsible for the 1972 Munich Olympics attack that killed 11 Israelis.[9]
Personal life
editBar's wife, Dafna, is a sister of entrepreneur Shai Agassi.[10]
References
edit- ^ "Cabinet Appoints Harvard Graduate Ronen Bar as New Shin Bet Chief". JewishPress.com. 2021-10-11. Archived from the original on 2024-08-23. Retrieved 2024-08-23.
- ^ Wrobel, Sharon (11 October 2021). "'The Right Man in The Right Place': Israel Appoints Ronen Bar as New Head of Shin Bet Security Service". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ a b Wrobel, Sharon (11 October 2021). "'The Right Man in The Right Place': Israel Appoints Ronen Bar as New Head of Shin Bet Security Service". The Algemeiner. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ a b Fabian, Emanuel (13 October 2021). "New Shin Bet chief: Agency won't stand idly by as crime rises in Arab community". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "Ronen Bar".
- ^ a b c "Cabinet approves nomination of Ronen Bar as next Shin Bet chief". The Times of Israel. 11 October 2021. Retrieved 7 March 2022.
- ^ "הותר לפרסום: רונן בר הוא ראש השב"כ החדש".
- ^ Rubin, Shira (16 October 2023). "How Hamas's carefully planned Israel attack devolved into a chaotic rampage". Washington Post. Washington, DC. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
- ^ "In recording, Shin Bet chief vows to kill Hamas chiefs 'in Lebanon, Turkey, Qatar'". Times of Israel. Jerusalem, Israel. 4 December 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
- ^ אייכנר, איתמר; זיתון, יואב; רובינשטיין, רועי (2021-10-11). "כבר לא ר': אושר מינויו של רונן בר לראש השב"כ". Ynet (in Hebrew). Retrieved 2023-03-30.
External links
edit
Media related to Ronen Bar at Wikimedia Commons
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