Israel's Netanyahu withdraws nomination of candidate for intelligence agency

2/4/2025 6:19

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has withdrawn his nomination of former navy chief Eli Sharvit to lead the domestic intelligence agency Shin Bet only a day after making it, a statement from his office said on Tuesday.



Netanyahu thanked Sharvit for accepting the nomination "but informed him that after further thought, he intends to examine other candidates", it said, giving no further reasons for the decision and naming no other candidate.



Israeli media reports said that Sharvit had taken part in the huge street protests that shook Israel in 2023 over Netanyahu's drive to restrict the power of the Supreme Court and overhaul the judiciary.



In a statement, Sharvit said he had agreed to take on the role of leading Shin Bet and he had full confidence in its capacity to meet the "complex challenges that have arisen in these days".



Netanyahu's nomination of Sharvit came in the middle of a bitter dispute over the current head of the Shin Bet intelligence service, Ronen Bar.