Ronen Bar blasts leadership evasions, demands state commission to expose failures that enabled Hamas massacre.
Former ISA (Shin Bet) Director Ronen Bar delivered his first public address since stepping down from his role, speaking Tuesday at Tel Aviv University’s Cyber Week conference. Six months after leaving office, Bar broke his silence—issuing a stark warning about Israel’s national resilience and the lessons left unlearned from the October 7th massacre.
Bar opened by honoring the fallen, including Ofir Shoshani and Hersh Goldberg-Polin, noting that behind every casualty were brilliant lives and futures stolen. “People like Ofir and Hersh could have been sitting here with us today, contributing to Israel as a technological powerhouse,” he said. “Only when you see their faces do you understand responsibility—and the true price of our failures.”
In a pointed remark widely interpreted as criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Bar asserted, “In leadership, it is better to take responsibility for failures than to take credit for achievements.”
“We promised to settle accounts with everyone.”
Recalling the ISA’s actions on that horrific morning, Bar explained:
“On that terrible morning—personally, organizationally, and nationally—the ISA held its head high and went to war. Our people fought under fire, eliminated terrorists, and promised: we will come to settle accounts with everyone.”
He noted that two of the masterminds behind October 7th have still not been confronted, and emphasized the urgent need to bring home Ran Gvili, the final hostage held by Hamas.
Internal Investigation Is Not Enough—Israel Needs a State Commission
Bar revealed that the ISA has already completed an extensive internal investigation focusing on its own failings. But, he warned, self-examination is only one piece of the puzzle.
“We did it out of responsibility—to discover the truth and to build the future,” he said. “But the only way to truly learn, dispel conspiracies, and ensure this horror never repeats is a state commission of inquiry with professionals who can see the full national picture.”
Failure to Investigate Is a Guarantee of Future Disaster
In his most chilling claim, Bar warned that evading such an inquiry is not merely a political mistake—it is a blueprint for catastrophe.
“By refusing to decide and refusing to investigate the system as a whole, we have effectively prescribed the next October 7th,” he declared. “We must stop the bickering and start working—with the aim of being better.”
Bar’s remarks underscored a growing chorus inside Israel’s security establishment: only full transparency, accountability, and a nationwide inquiry can prevent another Hamas massacre. His speech left a clear message—Israel cannot afford denial, delay, or political self-preservation when its future depends on truth and reform.
