Meet ‘S’: Netanyahu’s Surprise Pick to Head the Shin Bet

Israel’s Shin Bet internal security service announced Thursday the temporary appointment of Deputy Director "S" as acting head of the agency, following a decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu amid an ongoing legal and political controversy.

S, 53, married and a father of three, has served in the Shin Bet since 1995. He began his career as a field intelligence officer focused on the Arab sector in the Jerusalem and West Bank area and has since held a series of increasingly senior operational, cyber, and strategic positions within the organization.

From 2010 to 2012, S headed the Cyber SIGINT Division, later becoming Chief of Staff to the Director, and then Director of the Research Division from 2014 to 2016. After a sabbatical year, he returned to lead the Counterterrorism Division in the Samaria region, later serving as Head of Counterespionage and most recently as Chief of the Strategic Planning Division, overseeing the agency’s organizational development.

Since January 2025, S has served as Deputy Director of the Shin Bet, responsible for operational force deployment.

A graduate of political science and business administration, S previously served as a combat soldier and officer in the IDF’s Golani Brigade.

The Prime Minister's Office confirmed that Netanyahu had appointed S to act as head of the Shin Bet until the official appointment process for Maj. Gen. (res.) David Zini is completed. Zini, who resigned from the IDF after agreeing to Netanyahu’s request to lead the Shin Bet, has not yet been officially confirmed due to legal complications.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara approved the temporary appointment despite having previously instructed Netanyahu to transfer appointment powers to another minister due to a conflict of interest.

“In these exceptional circumstances, and despite the Prime Minister’s conflict of interest and failure to delegate authority as required, I believe the appointment of the proposed candidate is acceptable, provided it is limited to one month and avoids harm to national security,” Baharav-Miara said.

Back in May, the Attorney General ruled that Netanyahu could not be involved in appointing the Shin Bet director and questioned the legality of nominating Zini. At the time, sources close to the Prime Minister cast doubt on whether the appointment would go through, estimating the chances of success at just “50 percent.”

Zini, however, has already accepted the nomination and left military service in preparation for the role.