Netanyahu taps former Navy chief as Shin Bet head, to replace Ronen Bar

After interviewing seven candidates in depth, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided on Monday to select Vice Admiral (ret.) Eli Sharvit as the next head of the Shin Bet security agency.

Sharvit is slated to replace the current head of the organization, Ronen Bar, whom Netanyahu recently fired. As of now, however, Bar's termination is frozen by a Supreme Court order until a hearing on the matter, scheduled for April 8.

Sharvit served 36 years in the IDF, of which five years were spent as the commander of the navy. In this role, he led the construction of the maritime defense force on economic waters and managed complex operational systems against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. The Prime Minister's Office said that Netanyahu "is convinced that Vice Admiral Sharvit is the right person to lead the organization on a path that will continue its glorious tradition."

Former Chief of Staff and lawmaker Gadi Eizenkot praised the appointment: "Eli is a leader and commander with a professional and ethical backbone who has excelled in all his roles in the IDF. From many years of acquaintance, I am convinced that he will advance the organization according to its mission and will remain faithful to the state of Israel."

Despite Netanyahu's optimism, Sharvit has appeared in protests that erupted in 2023 against the government's judicial reform. In addition, he has voiced criticism of US President Donald Trump's environmental policy, stating that it is against science.

These points have drawn criticism both in Israel and in the US, where Senator Linsey Graham advised Israel "to change course and do better vetting."

A source in the Prime Minister's Office told i24NEWS that the nomination will likely be withdrawn over these considerations.

Last week, the Supreme Court suspended the dismissal of Bar temporarily, but ruled that Netanyahu may interview candidates for the position. Judge Gila Canfy-Steinitz opposed the position of Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who wanted to prohibit Netanyahu from interviewing candidates for the position before the court's decision on the dismissals was taken. "It is inappropriate to allow the beginning of the selection processes of candidates for the position, in a way that would harm the stability of the hierarchical organizational framework of the Shin Bet," Baharav-Miara said at the time.

Among those petitioning against the dismissals were also opposition parties, including Yesh Atid, The National Camp, Israel Beiteinu, and The Democrats parties. They claimed that "this decision was made in sharp contrast to the Prime Minister's interests, based on extraneous considerations, related to the investigations of the Shin Bet in the Prime Minister's office, and the Shin Bet's position recently published according to which the state has responsibility for the October disaster."