Ronen Bar, head of Israel’s Shin Bet (General Security Service), has announced his intention to resign in about six weeks.

According to Maariv, Bar’s resignation is seen by Israeli observers not as a personal decision, but as a political and national statement. He took full responsibility for the Shin Bet’s failure to prevent the October 7 attack and had reportedly expressed his intent to resign immediately after the event—contrasting sharply with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s continued efforts to evade accountability.

Analysts warned that the politicization of the Shin Bet could mark the beginning of Israel’s slide into dictatorship.

Maariv also noted that all eyes are now on the Supreme Court, which faces a critical test: either to affirm the independence of the Shin Bet and block its politicization, or allow Netanyahu to tighten his grip on the state’s institutions.