JERUSALEM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has reversed his decision to appoint former navy commander Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit as Security Agency Chief following criticism, including from a key U.S. senator, his office said on Tuesday.
Netanyahu had announced Sharvit’s appointment on Monday, defying a Supreme Court decision that froze his government’s move to dismiss incumbent director Ronen Bar. However, it later emerged that Sharvit had publicly opposed key policies of Netanyahu’s government and former U.S. President Donald Trump.
“The Prime Minister thanked Vice Admiral Sharvit for his willingness to be called to duty but informed him that, after further consideration, he intends to examine other candidates,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
The abrupt reversal on the key security appointment drew sharp criticism from the opposition. “The head of the Shin Bet is not just another appointment. It’s not a job that you announce and regret after 24 hours because of a few screams,” opposition leader Yair Lapid said. “This is the holiest of holies, it’s a violation of state security,” he added on social media.
Former Defence Minister Benny Gantz echoed Lapid’s remarks, accusing Netanyahu of prioritizing political considerations over national security. “Netanyahu proved again this morning: for him, political pressure outweighs the good of the state and its security,” he said.
Netanyahu announced Bar’s dismissal on March 21, citing an “ongoing lack of trust.” However, the Supreme Court swiftly suspended the decision until April 8, triggering daily mass protests in Jerusalem.
Hours after Sharvit’s appointment was announced, reports surfaced that he had participated in 2023 protests against Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul. Israeli media also recalled that Sharvit had supported a 2022 maritime border agreement with Lebanon, which Netanyahu had opposed.
Further controversy emerged over Sharvit’s past remarks on U.S. policy. He had written an opinion piece criticizing Trump’s climate policies, prompting strong reactions from U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a close Trump ally. “While it is undeniably true that America has no better friend than Israel, the appointment of Eli Sharvit to be the new leader of the Shin Bet is beyond problematic,” Graham wrote on X on Monday.
“The statements made by Eli Sharvit about President Trump and his policies will create unnecessary stress at a critical time. My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting,” he added. Sharvit’s critical article, published by Israeli financial newspaper Calcalist on January 23, was titled: “Not just a political mistake: Trump is pushing the earth to the abyss.”
Israeli opposition leaders have warned of a potential constitutional crisis if the Supreme Court overturns Bar’s dismissal. Legal experts told AFP on Monday that Netanyahu had not violated any law in seeking Bar’s replacement. However, Gantz has argued that no decision should be made on Shin Bet’s leadership until after the court’s ruling.
Bar’s relationship with the Netanyahu government soured after he blamed the administration for Hamas’s October 2023 attack and following a Shin Bet probe into alleged covert payments from Qatar to a Netanyahu aide. Netanyahu testified in the investigation on Monday, dismissing it as a “political witch hunt” aimed at “preventing the dismissal” of Bar.
