Israeli PM Netanyahu appoints new Shin Bet chief despite injunction

Despite a temporary injunction against the dismissal of Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet) chief Ronen Bar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu named Vice-Admiral (ret.) Eli Sharvit, former head of the Israeli Navy as the new security chief.

Hours after the Israeli government voted to dismiss Bar on March 21, the High Court of Justice issued a temporary restraining order against the move. The court is expected to hold a hearing on the matter by April 8.

The Shin Bet and police are investigating alleged unlawful ties between two of Netanyahu’s aides and Qatar. Attorney General Gali Baharav Miara, who the government also seeks to fire, warned that Netanyahu’s efforts to replace the Shin Bet chief could pose a conflict of interest.

The government cited a loss of trust in Bar for his dismissal. Netanyahu and Bar have been blaming each other over what was known before Hamas’ October 7 attack and whether it could have been prevented.

The opposition’s Benny Gantz, leader of the National Unity Party, said that while Sharvit has the “values and experience” to lead the Shin Bet, the High Court must first rule on Bar’s dismissal.

“However, 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. The appointment of the head of the Shin Bet must be made only after a High Court decision,” Gantz said.

The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever resign before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Vice-Adm. Sharvit served 36 years in the IDF, including five years as Navy Commander. He led the development of maritime defenses for Israel’s offshore natural gas fields and oversaw covert naval operations against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran.