Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has appointed the current deputy director of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet), identified only as “S,” to serve as the interim head of Israel’s internal security agency, Hebrew media reported on Wednesday.
The move follows the withdrawal of Vice Adm. (res.) Eli Sharvit from consideration for the role, after public controversy over his alleged involvement in protests against the Israeli government’s judicial reform effort and past critical comments regarding U.S. President Donald Trump.
The appointment takes place against the backdrop of ongoing legal proceedings surrounding the ouster of current Shin Bet Director Ronen Bar. The Israeli Supreme Court has temporarily halted Bar’s dismissal, with a formal hearing expected in the coming days.
According to Netanyahu’s office, there is insufficient time to finalize a permanent appointment through the standard advisory process before Bar’s expected departure date of April 10. This procedural limitation was cited as the rationale for installing an acting director.
