Netanyahu cancels appointment of new Shin Bet head amid opposition from allies

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announces that he is backtracking on his decision to appoint Vice Adm. (res.) Eli Sharvit as the next head of the Shin Bet, some 24 hours after making the surprise announcement.

Netanyahu met Sharvit last night to tell him that he would not be the next head of the Shin Bet security service, Netanyahu’s office says.

“The Prime Minister thanked Vice Adm. Sharvit for his willingness to be serve,” says the PMO in a statement, “but informed him that after further thought, he intends to interview other candidates.”

Netanyahu announced Sharvit on Monday morning as his choice to replace Ronen Bar at the head of the agency, in a move that raised eyebrows, given the reserves vice admiral’s reported participation in anti-government protests and ongoing questions surrounding Bar’s dismissal during a criminal probe into associates of the prime minister.

Netanyahu was facing pressure from political allies to scratch Sharvit’s nomination, due to his apparent participation in massive protests that erupted in 2023, against the government’s plans to overhaul the judiciary.

“I was asked by the Prime Minister to take on the role of head of the Shin Bet and to continue serving Israel at this difficult time – and so I did,” says Sharvit in a statement circulated by the PMO. “This comes from full confidence in the ability of the Shin Bet to meet the complex challenges that have arisen in this period, and a humble belief in my abilities to lead it toward this end.”

Sharvit also spoke publicly in favor of a 2022 territorial water agreement with Lebanon, which Netanyahu — then the opposition leader — had opposed, and earlier this year, Sharvit penned an opinion piece criticizing US President Donald Trump for his climate policies.