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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday morning that he is continuing to interview candidates for the head of the Shin Bet, but announced that in the meantime he will assign S., who has been serving as Ronen Bar's deputy for the past three months, the role of acting head of the intelligence organization until a permanent replacement is appointed.
A statement from the Prime Minister's Office says that Netanyahu "continues to interview candidates for the position of head of the Shin Bet, including candidates he has already interviewed."
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Prime MInister Benjamin Netanyahu named Ronen Bar's deputy as acting head of the Shin Bet
(Photos: Yair Sagi, Abit Sultan/AFP, Shutterstock)
The announcement comes after his about-face on Tuesday regarding the appointment of former Navy Admiral Eli Sharvit to the position. Bar's deputy at Shin Bet was considered the best option to head the security organization, with the necessary knowledge and experience to assume the leadership amid war.
Netanyahu explained the decision to appoint an acting head for the time being, in light of the hearing on the matter of Ronen Bar's removal that will be held in the High Court of Justice next week.
"In accordance with the schedule set by the government for the end of Ronen Bar's term by April 10, it will not be possible for the Grunis Committee to appoint a permanent Shin Bet head on time," the statement from the Prime Minister's Office said, referring to the advisory committee for the appointment of senior civil servants.
Netanyahu’s announcement follows his abrupt reversal on appointing Vice Admiral (res.) Eli Sharvit, former Israeli Navy commander, as head of the Shin Bet—a decision he had made just one day earlier.
On Tuesday morning, Netanyahu's office issued a statement saying that, after further deliberation, he had decided to reconsider other candidates. This came less than 24 hours after he met with Sharvit, thanked him for his willingness to serve, but ultimately informed him that he would not be selected.
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The reversal followed pressure from Netanyahu’s associates and criticism from right-wing figures, partly due to Sharvit’s participation in anti-government protests. Some also pointed to his support for the Israeli-Lebanese maritime border agreement, signed under former Prime Minister Yair Lapid. In an apparent attempt to justify the decision, sources close to Netanyahu also cited an opinion piece Sharvit had written in Calcalist, in which he criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump’s climate policies—though other political and ideological factors also played a role.
Following Netanyahu's decision, Sharvit released a statement saying: "The Prime Minister asked me to take on the role of Shin Bet chief and continue serving the State of Israel in this difficult time—and I accepted. I have full confidence in the Shin Bet’s ability to meet the complex challenges it faces today, and a humble belief in my own ability to lead it. The security of Israel and its citizens has always been my top priority.”
Last week, Netanyahu reportedly interviewed four candidates for the position: "M" – the Shin Bet Deputy Director, who was personally appointed by Netanyahu to lead Israel’s negotiating team in a series of international talks; Yair Sagi – a former deputy Shin Bet director, who previously lost the race for agency chief to Ronen Bar; Shalom Ben Hanan – a former department head, now a security analyst and commentator. Eyal Tsir Cohen – a former senior Mossad official, currently a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS). Netanyahu is expected to meet with Tzur Cohen upon his return from an overseas trip.
Notably, S, the current deputy Shin Bet chief, was not initially interviewed, despite being considered a natural candidate for the position. His limited experience—having only assumed the role three months ago—was reportedly a factor in the decision.