Ex-Shin Bet chief Dichter among names weighed by PM to head the agency — report

In his ongoing search for a new head of the Shin Bet, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly considering appointing Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter to the post.

Current chief Ronen Bar will step down on June 15, even as the Supreme Court weighs petitions against the cabinet’s decision in March to fire him — a decision the cabinet rescinded when he agreed to resign last month.

Dichter, a member of Likud, headed the Shin Bet from 2000-2005, and is regarded as having played a central role in subduing the Second Intifada.

A Channel 12 report says Dichter’s name first came up a month ago, and has again been raised now, though Netanyahu is also considering numerous other candidates. In Dichter’s case, the report says, Netanyahu is thinking of placing him in the post for two years as a “professional appointment” to revitalize the agency.

Dichter would likely be endorsed, as needed, by the Senior Appointments Advisory Committee, although there could be issues regarding his immediate shift from government minister to security chief without a cooling-off period.

The TV report says Dichter did not deny the story when asked, but did say the reporter has a “highly developed imagination.”