Israeli Spy Chief to Step Down After Clash With Netanyahu

The head of Israel’s domestic intelligence service announced on Monday that he would step down in June, appearing to end an unusually public and bitter clash with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that has roiled the country.

Mr. Netanyahu had fired Ronen Bar, who led the Shin Bet agency, in mid-March. The dismissal ignited an immediate public backlash: it came as Shin Bet investigators were scrutinizing Mr. Netanyahu’s aides for potential impropriety in their dealings with the Gulf state of Qatar.

Critics of Mr. Netanyahu saw Mr. Bar’s firing as an attempt to consolidate control over the agency or even muzzle the investigation into his advisers. Mr. Netanyahu is already standing trial for corruption in multiple cases; he denies any wrongdoing.

Mr. Bar had been expected to fight Mr. Netanyahu in the courts over his dismissal. Israel’s Supreme Court quickly suspended his firing. The two men have leveled grave accusations at one another in signed affidavits.

But on Monday night, Mr. Bar told Shin Bet officers, during a speech at the agency’s headquarters, that he would resign on Jun. 15. He said he hoped the Supreme Court justices would still rule on the case in a manner that preserves “the independence of future heads of the Shin Bet.”

The case epitomized a long-running domestic crisis that pits Mr. Netanyahu’s hard-line, right-wing supporters against more liberal Israelis concerned over the balance of power between the branches of government and the character of Israeli democracy.