Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has retracted his nomination of former navy chief Eli Sharvit to head the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet, just one day after the announcement, according to a statement from his office on Tuesday.
Netanyahu expressed gratitude to Sharvit for accepting the nomination but indicated that he would consider other candidates after further reflection, without providing additional reasons or naming any alternatives.
Reports from Israeli media noted that Sharvit had participated in significant street protests in 2023, which were sparked by Netanyahu’s efforts to limit the Supreme Court’s authority and reform the judiciary.
In his statement, Sharvit expressed his willingness to lead Shin Bet and conveyed his confidence in the agency’s ability to tackle the “complex challenges” currently facing the nation.
Netanyahu’s nomination of Sharvit occurred amid a contentious situation regarding the current Shin Bet head, Ronen Bar.
The attempt to remove Bar, who has been overseeing an investigation into alleged financial connections between Qatar and several of Netanyahu’s aides, has been stalled by a temporary injunction from the Supreme Court, which is set to review the matter next week.
Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss Bar, who is part of the Israeli team working on the return of hostages from Gaza, has sparked significant protests, with demonstrators accusing the prime minister of undermining vital state institutions for political gain.
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Netanyahu has characterized the “Qatargate” investigation by police and Shin Bet as a politically motivated attack. He stated that he lost faith in Bar and attributed intelligence failures to Shin Bet that contributed to the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which led to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
