Who Is Eli Sharvit, The New Head of The Shin Bet?
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced his selection of Major General Eli Sharvit as the new head of the Shin Bet intelligence agency on Monday morning (31st).
Shavit, a surprise pick, was not on the short list of three possible candidates widely reported by Hebrew-language media.
The selection of Sharvit is also unusual because he is not currently employed by the Shin Bet, nor did he ever serve in the agency.
A married father of three, Sharvit grew up in the southern city of Beersheba.
Sharvit served as the commander of the Navy between 2016 and 2021, leading “the creation of the maritime defense force in the economic waters” and managing “complex operational systems against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran,” the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.
Upon retiring from military service after 36 years, Sharvit became the president of a private company in Israel’s defense sector.
Notably, one of Netanyahu’s major political rivals praised his choice.
Opposition MK Gadi Eisenkot, who was once the IDF’s Chief of Staff, said that Sharvit was “a leader and commander with a professional and ethical backbone, who has excelled in all his positions in the IDF.”
He added that “from many years of acquaintance with Sharvit, I am confident that he will advance the organization according to its mission, and will be loyal to the State of Israel.”
In a 2021 interview with Ynet, Sharvit warned that Iran may use unorthodox maritime solutions to evade economic sanctions.
“The Iranian issue becomes complex when the Iranian economic system is under sanctions, and then Iran tries every creative way to transfer money to finance terror organizations,” he told the Hebrew-language outlet at the time.
“We need to worry about how to prevent them from using the maritime medium both as an economic route and for transferring weapons,” Sharvit added.
Netanyahu: ‘Military Pressure On Hamas Is Working’
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the allegations against the government in relation to the efforts to return the hostages still held in Gaza at the Cabinet meeting on Sunday (30th).
“This morning I’m going to discuss the three H’s: First of all Hamas, then Hezbollah and then the Houthis,” the prime minister said at the start of his remarks.
Addressing the first ‘H,’ Hamas, Netanyahu claimed that “military pressure is working. It is working because it is simultaneous: On the other hand, it is pounding Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, and on the other it is creating the conditions for releasing our hostages. This is exactly what we are doing.” He added that “Saturday night (29th), the Security Cabinet convened and decided to increase the pressure (which had already been increased), in order to further pound Hamas and create the optimal conditions for releasing our hostages.”
Netanyahu referred to “three false claims” directed at the government: “One – that we are not holding negotiations. This is incorrect. We are holding them under fire, therefore, they are also effective. Suddenly, we see that there are cracks.”
He continued: “The second claim – is that we are unwilling to discuss the final stage. This is also incorrect. We are willing. If Hamas will lay down its weapons, its leaders will be allowed to leave. We will see to the general security in the Gaza Strip and will allow the realization of the Trump plan for voluntary migration. This is the plan. We are not hiding this and are ready to discuss it at any time.”
On the third claim, that “we do not care about the hostages,” Netanyahu said : “This is incorrect for the ministers here who regularly meet with the families of the hostages, and for my wife and I. Last week we met and talked with four families. We speak in depth and feel their pain, which is immense. This claim – that we do not care – echoes Hamas propaganda. This is what Hamas puts into its videos with the goal of creating internal dissension and a false picture.”
“We are committed to returning the hostages, and we are working to return them. As of right now, the combination of military and diplomatic pressure is the only thing that has returned the hostages, and not any of the empty claims and slogans that I hear in the studios from the self-professed experts,” Netanyahu emphasized.
Addressing the Hezbollah threat to Israel’s north, the Prime Minister said that “in Lebanon there is very aggressive enforcement, without compromise. This is the directive that I, the Defense MInister and the Security Cabinet, have given to the IDF, which the IDF is implementing in an optimal manner. We will not allow a trickle of discounts or considerations,” he added: “The Lebanese state is responsible for what emanates from its territory. We respect the Lebanese state and its military, therefore, we demand from them the things that you demand from someone you respect.”
Finally, Netanyahu addressed the recent American activity against the Houthis: “I greatly appreciate the actions of our ally the US. They are dealing with them very forcefully. Of course, we are acting to defend ourselves, as has happened recently. But the fact that the US has gone in there vigorously is a major change.”
“We always appreciate alliances. We have an alliance with the greatest superpower in the world, which is lining up behind us there, and in other arenas, without reservation, and with the full appreciation of the citizens and Government of Israel,” Netanyahu concluded.
Houthis Persist In Strikes Against Israel: Sirens Send Millions To Shelters: IDF Intercepts Missile
Air Raid sirens sounded across central Israel Sunday morning (30th) after the IDF intercepted a missile launched from Yemen before entering Israeli airspace. The military reported that a single projectile was fired by the Houthis and was intercepted before reaching Israeli territory.
The alarms were heard across vast areas of the country, including Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Ramat Gan, Rishon Lezion, Ramle, Holon and others. Shrapnel from the intercept fell near a school yard outside Jerusalem.
The Israeli Police reported that debris fell on several areas near the capital and across central Israel following the interception.
The attack comes as US forces continue airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen, amid tensions in the region. “Our strikes every day and night have been extremely successful — beyond our wildest expectations,” US President Donald Trump told reporters on US activity against the terror group. “We will do this for a long time — we can keep going. They want us to stop so badly.”
The US military campaign, which began March 15, has targeted dozens of sites across Houthi-controlled territory, including Sanaa International Airport and locations in the provinces of Saada, Hudaydah, al-Jawf, Amran and Marib. Civilian neighborhoods in the capital, Sanaa, were also struck late Thursday (27th) according to local reports.
Gaza Man Murdered By Hamas After Joining Protests Against Terror Group, Family Says
Hamas operatives kidnapped, tortured and executed a 22-year-old Palestinian man who participated in last week’s wave of protests against the terror group, according to his family.
Oday Nasser Al Rabay’s body was left in front of his family’s home over the weekend. On Saturday (29th), many dozens were filmed participating in his funeral procession, shouting, “Hamas out.”
Hamas has reportedly been threatening Palestinians who participate in the protests against the terror group, but this appears to be the first time that anyone has been killed in connection with them.
The protests were held for three straight days last week, but some were held over the weekend, amid assessments in Israel that Hamas was intimidating protesters.
A Gaza man who now lives in Turkey, who had published most of the footage of the demonstrations, said senior Hamas officials threatened him over his activities.
The terror group, which has ruled Gaza since 2007 said on Thursday (27th) that the protests were against Israel rather than Hamas, despite reports, interviews and footage to the contrary.
According to the KAN public broadcaster, partially out of a desire to quash the demonstrations, some senior Hamas members have shown willingness to release a small number of hostages to secure a truce during the Ramadan-ending holiday of Eid al-Fitr, which began Sunday evening (30th).
Hamas wants to crack down on those participating in the protests but cannot do so due to Israel’s resumed operations in Gaza, as the IDF is targeting terror operatives that it spots out in the open, according to the report.
Israel resumed operations in Gaza March 15, scuttling the ceasefire and hostage release deal reached in January. That deal’s 42-day first phase expired on March 2 amid Israel’s refusal to negotiate the second phase.
The first phase saw Hamas release 33 women, children, civilian men over 50, and those deemed “humanitarian cases,” in exchange for some 1,900 Palestinian prisoners, including over 270 serving life terms in connection with the murders of dozens of Israelis.
The second phase would have seen the terror group’s release of 24 hostages still believed to be alive. All are young men abducted on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas-led terrorists stormed southern Israel to kill some 1,200 people and take 251 hostages, sparking the war in Gaza.
Hamas is also holding the remains of 35 hostages, including an IDF officer whose body was snatched after he was killed fighting in the 2014 Gaza War.
IDF: Defense Ministry Experts Arrive In Bangkok To Provide Post-Earthquake Aid
A joint team of experts from the IDF and the Defense Ministry landed in Bangkok on Sunday morning (30th) following Friday’s (28th) earthquake that killed at least 1,700 across southeast Asia.
The Israeli aid delegation included engineering and civil affairs officers from Home Front Command’s National Rescue Unit, the military confirmed .
The delegation began by conducting a situational assessment and sharing technological expertise to Thai authorities, the military added.
On Saturday (29th), the Israeli Foreign Ministry announced that it would publish the local instructions as they are published on the ministry’s website, social media, and the Lametayel app, to support Israelis who were in Thailand, given its popularity as a tourist destination
The Thai Tourism Bureau in Israel added that it is closely monitoring developments while advising Israeli travelers to take strict precautions.
Those enjoying meals at the Beit Chabad Ohr Menachem in Bangkok on Friday (28th) ahead of Shabbat were confirmed safe and the 5-story, $7 million structure built in 2021 remained structurally sound.
The UN Needs To Be Rebuilt From The Ground Up – Dr. Dan Diker
The UN’s 1948 recognition of the Jewish people’s right to self-determination in the State of Israel symbolized hope and triumph over genocidal oppression. Yet today, the world body has tragically inverted this narrative, portraying Israel as a villain, while rationalizing the actions of genocidal terrorist organizations like Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis, which share aims akin to those of the Nazis.
The UN has evolved into a platform on which the legitimacy of Israel is consistently undermined. Resolutions and declarations emerging from various UN bodies often paint Israel as an aggressor while propping up and legitimizing the actions of groups that threaten its existence. Bias against Israel can be traced back to UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 of 1975, which equated Zionism and racism. That resolution was shelved in 1991.
Since 2015, the UN General Assemly has delivered 140 resolutions condemning Israel – far more than the number of resolutions against all other nations combined. The UN Human Rights Council, whose members frequently include authoritarian, repressive regimes such as North Korea and Iran, has also passed an overwhelming number of resolutions against Israel.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) have served as additional forums enabling “lawfare” campaigns against Israel. Moreover, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which purportedly supports Palestinian refugees, has been implicated in supporting terrorism.
There is a pressing need for the UN to confront its embedded biases and its acceptance of jihad and collective Jew-hatred. A different framework must emerge, one that prioritizes accuracy, fairness, and a commitment to uphold human rights without prejudice. The UN and its associated agencies are accomplices to terror organizations, defaulting on their mission set in the UN’s founding charter of pursuing peace and defending the sovereignty of nations.
The writer is president of the Jerusalem Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
