Ronen Bar

Bar enlisted into the Israel Defense Forces in 1983 and joined the elite Sayeret Matkal unit. He left the service in 1987. In 1993 he joined the operations division of the ISA.[2][3]

Bar climbed the ranks of the ISA and held various managerial and command positions in the operations division, including operations commander in the field, deputy head of the special operations unit, head of the operations unit, and instructor in the national security academy.[4] He commanded many operations in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli-occupied West Bank, and Lebanon. In 2011, he was appointed Head of the ISA Operations Branch.

In 2012, he commanded the operation to assassinate Ahmed Jabari, the chief of staff of Hamas. In 2014 he participated in solving the kidnapping and murder case of three Israeli teenagers.

He was "loaned" to the Israeli Mossad for an operational position, and In 2016 returned to the ISA and was appointed Head of Staff division - considered to be the no. 3 in seniority in the organization. In 2018, he was appointed ISA Deputy Director.[3] Over the years, Bar led various operations and units that were awarded several "Security Prizes".[2]

On October 11, 2021, his appointment by the Israeli government as the next head of the Shin Bet was announced.[2][3]"Ronen is a brave fighter and a daring commander who, throughout his life, has dealt with the highest mission of all – defending the security of Israel,” said Israeli Prime Minister, Naftali Bennett, adding that “he risked his life for the homeland more than once. Ronen grew in the ranks of the organization and served it in various positions in which he contributed greatly to safeguarding the security of Israel and its citizens. As he takes up office as Director of the ISA, I am certain that he will move the ISA forward to achieve new heights of performance and excellence."[2]

He began his tenure as Director General of the ISA on October 13, 2021.[1]

Bar, 55, is married to Dafna (sister of Shai Agassi, an Israeli entrepreneur),[5] and a father of three. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science and Philosophy from Tel Aviv University and a Master's Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.[2][3] He lives in the center of Israel and is an avid runner and swimmer. He is a fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv in Basketball and Soccer[4]

After he finished his military service in the IDF and prior to joining the ISA, Bar was a partner in the late 80s in "Cafe Bagdad" a prominent 24/7 bar in Tel Aviv.