Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed former navy commander Eli Sharvit to lead Shin Bet, the country’s domestic security agency. However, the Supreme Court has frozen the dismissal of the current chief, Ronen Bar, leaving uncertainty over when Sharvit can officially assume the role.
Netanyahu decided to remove Bar on March 21, citing an “ongoing lack of trust.” However, legal challenges from the opposition and a non-governmental organisation led the Supreme Court to suspend Bar’s dismissal. Bar’s strained relations with the government escalated after he attributed security failures in Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel to the administration.
Legal experts and the opposition leader of the country warned that if the top court rejects the dismissal of Bar, Israel could encounter a constitutional crisis due to a rift between the executive and the judiciary. “After conducting in-depth interviews with seven worthy candidates, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to appoint former Israel navy commander, Vice-Admiral Eli Sharvit as the next director of the ISA (Shin Bet),” his office said in a statement, AFP reported.
The office of Netanyahu highlighted that Sharvit had served in the military for 36 years, including five as navy commander. “In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defence of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” the statement added.
Former Defence Minister Appreciates Eli Sharvit To Lead Shin Bet
The Supreme Court has ruled that Bar’s dismissal will remain frozen until appeals are presented before April 8. “Things are proceeding in parallel as the supreme court allowed him (Netanyahu) to interview candidates for the post while legal proceedings are still on in the court,” a legal expert, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.
“The question of how legal is the dismissal (of Bar) is still pending in the Supreme Court, and it could still be cancelled by the court.” The expert stated that choosing the next Shin Bet chief was “establishing facts on the ground. It might be an attempt to influence the court.”
Former defence minister and opposition leader, Benny Gantz, appreciated Sharvit but warned that the country could face a constitutional crisis. “What is clear is that the prime minister decided this morning to continue his campaign against the judicial system and lead the state of Israel toward a dangerous constitutional crisis,” Gantz said.
Gantz emphasised that to appointment of the head of the Shin Bet should take place only following the supreme court’s ruling.
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