Netanyahu nominates new Israeli spy chief despite court order

Israeli PM is still trying to push firing of Ronen Bar, former head of Shin Bet security agency, past Supreme Court.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has nominated a former Navy commander to head the country’s domestic security services, despite the courts having blocked his bid to fire the previous head of Shin Bet.

Netanyahu’s office announced on Monday that he had nominated Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit to lead the agency, which surveils attacks from abroad and at home, including by armed groups based in Palestine and Lebanon. However, a halt to the sacking of Ronen Bar as head of Shin Bet, ordered by the Supreme Court, remains in place.

The prime minister noted Sharvit’s experience as he announced that he had been selected after “conducting in-depth interviews with seven worthy candidates”.

Having served in the military for 36 years, Sharvit had led “the maritime defence of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran”, the statement said.

The announcement comes as Netanyahu and far-right members of his government coalition continue their effort to enforce the removal of Bar.

Netanyahu said in late March that he no longer had trust in the Shin Bet chief following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,139 people and saw about 250 others taken captive.

But the decision to fire Bar led to discord within the government and prompted large protests. Critics claim it was a politically motivated decision, noting that Shin Bet was investigating suspected corruption among the prime minister’s close advisers.

Bar also refuted that the Shin Bet was responsible for the October 7 security failure, instead pointing the finger at the government.

After Israel’s opposition and nongovernmental organisations filed petitions, the Supreme Court froze the dismissal pending further appeals before a hearing is scheduled for April 8. However, it left the way open for the process of finding a new agency chief to proceed.

Still, the leader of the National Unity Party, Benny Gantz, questioned Netanyahu’s announcement.

“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 towards a dangerous constitutional crisis. The appointment of the head of the Shin Bet must be made only after a High Court decision,” Gantz wrote on X.

Democrats chief Yair Golan wrote that the prime minister had “launched an attack on the rule of law” and suggested that “democratic Israel poses a huge challenge to him.”