Israel Appoints New Shin Bet Chief Amid Political Turmoil

Israel has appointed Eli Sharvit as the new head of the country’s domestic intelligence agency, Shin Bet, following the controversial dismissal of his predecessor, Ronen Bar, Bloomberg reports.

The appointment has triggered further political tensions within the country.

Sharvit, a former naval commander with 36 years of military service, will assume his new role following a statement from the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The appointment comes after Netanyahu fired Ronen Bar earlier this month, citing disagreements over responsibility for the October 7th attack by Hamas, as well as disputes regarding hostage negotiations and an ongoing probe into Qatar.

The swift appointment, made before a scheduled court hearing on April 8th regarding Bar’s dismissal, is expected to fuel domestic tensions. Israel’s attorney general, who is also facing potential ousting by Netanyahu’s cabinet, had opposed Bar’s firing.

Multiple petitions were filed with the court following Bar’s dismissal, alleging a conflict of interest due to a Shin Bet inquiry into several of Netanyahu’s close aides. Bar’s removal led to protests involving tens of thousands of government opponents who accused Netanyahu of attempting to shut down the investigation. The turmoil resulted in significant losses in Israeli markets, the largest since the October 7th, 2023 attacks by Hamas.

Opposition leader Benny Gantz praised Sharvit’s experience but criticized the appointment process, stating that “Netanyahu’s decided to continue his campaign against the judiciary and lead the State of Israel towards a dangerous constitutional crisis.” He emphasized that the appointment should only proceed after a decision by the High Court of Justice.

According to Netanyahu’s office, Sharvit “led the construction of the maritime defense force in the economic waters and managed complex operational systems against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran” during his service as Navy Commander.

Sharvit’s appointment marks the first time in three decades that the Shin Bet chief has come from outside the service. The last instance of an outsider leading the intelligence agency was in 1996, following the Shin Bet’s failure to prevent the assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.