Last week he was able to publicly prove that he has nerves like wire ropes. Ronen Bar was driving to a key hearing about his promotion to head of Israel’s domestic intelligence agency, Schin Bet. Pure tension, because there were a few allegations and reservations that he had to dispel. But on the way up the highway to Jerusalem, Bar found the time for a Samaritan campaign: when he saw a burning car on the side of the road, he stopped and actively helped extinguish the fire.
The photos of the future chief agent as a firefighter found their way into the media right away – and that can safely be understood as part of a staging that is supposed to show the Israelis: Ronen Bar is someone who always lends a hand. One with whom the country is in good hands. This is an important message because from now on he will be at the forefront of general security.
A central task: preventing terror attacks
The Shin Bet, whose name is derived from the Hebrew initials of Scherut Bitachon, in German: Security Service, deduces, may not be as colorful and well-known as Israel’s foreign intelligence service Mossad. Inside, however, it fulfills central functions: Personal protection for members of the government is just as much a part of it as the protection of public buildings and the Israeli airline El Al. Above all, however, he is responsible for the fight against terrorism. Hardly anything stirs in the Palestinian Territories that the Shin Bet does not capture.
“The invisible protective shield” is the official motto of the service, which operates with 5000 permanent employees and a dense network of informers. Violence is part of the business, and Bar’s predecessor Nadav Argaman gave a numerical insight into everyday work at the handover ceremony this week: 2261 planned terrorist attacks have been prevented by the work of the Shin Bet during its five-year service. 529 acts were carried out, 54 Israelis were killed in the process.
Ronen Bar has worked for Schin Bet since the early 1990s. But only with the appointment at the top did he step out of the fog of anonymity, previously he had only been listed as Agent “R”. Now we know that he is 55 years old and has three children. That he lives in a house in a suburb of Tel Aviv, enjoys jogging, long journeys, of course, and appreciates good food.
A lot of experience with delicate missions: Gaza, West Bank, Lebanon
Academically, he has a Bachelor’s degree in Politics and Philosophy acquired in Tel Aviv and a Master’s in Management from Harvard. Much more important, however, is his field and combat experience. In the military, he once served in the elite Sayeret Matkal unit, as did Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and his predecessor Benjamin Netanyahu. At Schin Bet, he worked his way up from scratch. Now he is moving up from the deputy post to the top.
He is praised as a man of practice, with numerous awards and delicate missions in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Lebanon. Prime Minister Naftali Bennett praises him as a “daredevil fighter” who risked his life more than once for the good of the country. And companions also never tire of praising his coolness and courage in the media.
Shortly before the appointment, however, an anonymous letter accused Bar of professional misconduct in two cases caused a stir. The specific allegations remained secret. Bar himself spoke of old and long-refuted allegations. He was then able to convince the commission responsible for an appointment. He showed up for the crucial meeting just in time, despite the fire fighting at the roadside.