Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Monday morning that he has decided to appoint retired Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit, a former commander of the Israeli Navy, as the next head of the Shin Bet security agency.
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אלי שרביטאלי שרביט
Maj. Gen. Eli Sharvit
(Photo: Israel Hadari)
Sharvit served in the Israel Defense Forces for 36 years, including five years as Navy commander from 2016 to 2021. "In that role, he led the development of maritime defense capabilities for Israel’s exclusive economic zone and managed complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Netanyahu's office said.
The statement also addressed the significance of the appointment, saying: "The Shin Bet is a distinguished organization that went through a severe shock on October 7. The prime minister is confident that Maj. Gen. Sharvit is the right person to lead the agency forward while preserving its proud legacy."
The last time a former Navy commander was appointed to lead the Shin Bet was after the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, when Ami Ayalon took the position.
Sharvit, 57, is married with three children. He was born in Sde Boker in southern Israel, the youngest of three siblings. His family later moved to Be’er Sheva, where he spent his childhood. In a 2021 exit interview at the end of his tenure as navy commander, he told Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth that his enlistment in the Navy was purely coincidental.
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אלי שרביטאלי שרביט
Eli Sharvit is the first Naval commander to be named Shin Bet head since 1995
(Photo: Tal Shahar)
"I got a notice in the mail saying, ‘Volunteer for the Naval Officer Course,’ so I went. I wasn’t in a maritime scouting program or anything. I enlisted in 1985, joined the missile boat fleet, and completed the 18-month officer training course," he recalled.
Sharvit spent his entire career in the IDF's naval forces, alternating between operational and staff roles. In 2006, he was deputy commander of the missile boat flotilla (3rd Fleet) before later becoming its commander. He then served as the navy’s Haifa base commander, deputy navy chief, and finally, in 2016, was appointed to lead the navy, succeeding Ram Rothberg.
After leaving the IDF in 2021, Sharvit transitioned to the private sector, initially leading the renewable energy division at Tadiran. He later became president of a Rafael subsidiary specializing in maritime defense systems. He was also previously considered a candidate for CEO of Rafael but told Calcalist that he declined the offer to focus on a renewable energy venture in the private sector.
Sharvit has previously participated in protests against the government's judicial overhaul at Tel Aviv's Kaplan Street but has not called for reservists to refuse service.
In his 2021 interview, Sharvit described his strategic outlook, saying, "I don’t believe in a passive approach. When it comes to Iran, economic sanctions complicate their financial system, and they look for creative ways to transfer funds to terror organizations. We need to prevent them from using the maritime domain for financial and weapons transfers."
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טקס סיום קורס צוללןטקס סיום קורס צוללן
Major General Eli Sharvit Graduation Ceremony of the 116th Class Diver Course, Haifa Naval Base,
(Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)
Reflecting on his experience, he emphasized the importance of deterrence. "Hassan Nasrallah is currently deeply deterred, but deterrence is fragile. If you don’t respond to certain actions, it erodes. You need to maintain it constantly," he said.
Sharvit traced this perspective back to the 2006 Second Lebanon War, when Hezbollah fired an anti-ship missile at the INS Hanit, killing four sailors. "That event was a major turning point for me. It fundamentally changed my outlook. It showed that to project strength at sea, you don’t necessarily have to sail. Hezbollah had no navy, yet they nearly sank a missile boat and effectively imposed a maritime blockade on northern Israel."
The Supreme Court is set to hold a hearing on Tuesday, April 8, regarding the government’s decision to dismiss current Shin Bet Chief Ronen Bar. The move has sparked controversy, with Bar opposing his removal, citing potential conflicts of interest related to the agency’s investigation into the so-called "Qatar-Gate" affair.
The panel reviewing the petitions against Bar’s dismissal will be composed of the court’s three most senior justices: Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, whom Justice Minister Yariv Levin and other ministers refuse to recognize as legitimate; Deputy President Noam Sohlberg, a conservative jurist; and Justice Dafna Barak-Erez, one of the court’s more liberal members.
Last week, the Supreme Court rejected Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s request to prevent Netanyahu from interviewing candidates for the position. Shortly after the ruling, Netanyahu began summoning candidates for interviews.