The Guardian / April 1, 2025
So why did Benjamin Netanyahu withdraw his selection of former navy commander vice admiral Eli Sharvit as the next head of the Shin Bet security service – and so quickly?
On Monday, hours after Sharvit’s appointment was announced, reports began surfacing that he had been among tens of thousands of Israelis who took to the streets in 2023 to oppose the Netanyahu government’s controversial attempts to reform the judiciary.
Despite huge protests, Israel’s far-right, ultra-religious government that year succeeded in passing a key part of the coalition’s judicial overhaul: abolishing the court’s power to overrule government decisions.
There were also local media reports that said Sharvit, who served in the military for 36 years, had supported a 2022 water agreement with Lebanon that Netanyahu had opposed.
It was also revealed that the former naval chief had penned an opinion piece criticising Donald Trump’s policies on climate change.
“Trump’s shortsightedness sends a shocking message to the world of disregard for scientific reality, the well-being of humanity, and responsibility to future generations,” he reportedly wrote as CEO of Elgry Eco Energy.
This prompted staunch Trump ally, senator Lindsey Graham, to criticise Sharvit’s appointment in a post on X.
“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, South Carolina’s senior senator as well as a ranking member of the chamber’s judiciary and budget committees, wrote on Monday.
“There has never been a better supporter for the State of Israel than President Trump. The statements made by Eli Sharvit about President Trump and his polices will create unnecessary stress at a critical time. My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting.”
Netanyahu and Trump are close allies. Israel’s war on Gaza is being fuelled by the US, by far its biggest arms supplier and critical in providing it with diplomatic cover.
