DAY 542 OF THE WAR: Netanyahu Reveals Pick for Shin Bet Head, But Appointment in Doubt; Netanyahu Confidants Arrested in Connection with Qatargate, Police Question Netanyahu Regarding Involvement

Tel Aviv Diary March 31, 2025

Amidst the ongoing war, with a reported 59 hostages in captivity, and least 24 of them confirmed alive, and despite these harrowing circumstances, today was one of the most eventful news days in recent memory—albeit only a tangential connection to the war.

We woke up to the breaking news that Prime Minister Netanyahu had chosen to appoint Eli Sharvit as the new head of the Shin Bet. In an unconventional move, this announcement was made at the unusually early time of 6:30 a.m., a decision that raised eyebrows. Within just an hour, the first wave of reactions began to pour in. Sharvit was Commander of Israel’s Navy from 2016 to 2021.

The initial reactions questioned how Netanyahu could nominate someone when a Supreme Court injunction was in place, prohibiting any appointments—at least not until after a court hearing scheduled for April 8th. Upon closer examination, however, it became clear that Netanyahu had approached the boundary but did not overstep it, as he had not formally appoint Sharvit, but merely expressed his intention to do so.

Shortly thereafter, positive reactions began arriving from the political arena, including figures like Gadi Eizenkot, a leader of the Knesset opposition and former colleague of Sharvit on the IDF general staff. Overall, the feedback was favorable—Sharvit was regarded as apolitical and a successful general. Still, serious concerns were raised about the wisdom of appointing someone from outside the Internal Security Service during wartime.

Another concern raised was that despite his organizational prowess, Sharvit does not speak Arabic and has no field experience. The only previous instance of an external appointment as Shin Bet head was following the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin, when Ami Ayalon, another former Navy chief was appointed. However, Ayalon came from the naval commandos, while Sharvit’s experience is from the surface navy, leaving him with minimal connections to counterterrorism and Palestinian affairs.

Despite these concerns, the overall sentiment regarding Sharvit remained positive. Reports that Sharvit had opposed judicial reform were viewed favorably as an indication of Shavit’s independent-mindedness. Nevertheless, some questioned, why Eizenkot would support the appointment instead of criticizing Netanyahu for making it—particularly given the Supreme Court's ruling that allowed Netanyahu to interview candidates for Shin Bet Chief but prohibited him from making a new appointment.

By the afternoon, Sharvit’s opposition to judicial reform had become the focal point of the news. Soon after, supporters of the right-wing government began criticizing Shavit’s appointment, arguing that the position should be filled by someone ideologically aligned with the right. Critics branded him part of the “deep state,” citing Sharvit’s participation in an anti-government rally on Kaplan Street as an example.

By evening, it appeared likely that the appointment would be withdrawn. The rationale provided was that Sharvit had written an op-ed piece critical of President Trump’s climate policies, prompting Trump to prefer a different candidate. The Netanyahu government even managed to persuade the ever-compliant Senator Lindsey Graham to issue a statement advocating for the appointment of another individual. Although the opinions of the US Administration on the appointment of a Shin Bet chief might seem irrelevant, these have been cited by Netanyahu’s office as excuses for the likely withdrawal of Sharvit’s proposed appointment.

QATARGATE

This wasn’t even the main domestic story today. This morning, it was revealed that police had arrested Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, two of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s closest confidants, who are accused of receiving money from Qatar and are considered central figures in the Qatargate affair. The announcement of their arrests coincided with Netanyahu's testimony at his own trial.

Immediately upon hearing the news, Netanyahu’s lead attorney, Amit Hadad, requested a recess in the proceedings. Hadad then left Netanyahu’s trial, as he also represents Urich—indeed, Hadad serves as counsel for nearly everyone in Netanyahu’s inner circle.

A report then surfaced that Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara had authorized the questioning of Netanyahu. Minutes later, news broke that Netanyahu’s trial had been suspended, allowing him to return to Jerusalem to be questioned about his knowledge of Qatargate. The inquiry, which lasted two hours, was conducted without any prior indication that Netanyahu might be suspected of a crime. The primary objective was to compel Netanyahu to disclose what he knew.

After several hours of interrogation, Urich and Feldstein were detained overnight in jail, with police anticipated to request an extension of their detention tomorrow. A gag order remains in place, preventing the release of full details at this time.

What we do know for certain is that funds from Qatar were used to pay the salary of Feldstein, who had failed to receive the necessary security clearance to be officially employed and compensated by the government. Nevertheless, Feldstein continued to work in the Prime Minister’s Office as Netanyahu’s military spokesperson, while receiving funding from Qatar.

The implications of this case are far-reaching, potentially making it the most serious challenge Netanyahu has faced to date. It is becoming increasingly evident that Qatari influence extended into the office of Prime Minister Netanyahu. A former Netanyahu supporter pointedly asked, “How much of today did Netanyahu devote to the country's issues, rather than his own?”

Following his questioning tonight, Netanyahu indignantly claimed that the proceedings were all politically motivated to thwart his efforts to dismiss Ronen Bar, and described Urich and Feldstein as being held as “hostages” — This comparison, made by the Prime Minister, is particularly shameful, as it starkly disregards the plight of the 59 actual hostages who have been under Hamas captivity for 542 days.

Today’s Radio Show

FREED HOSTAGES ON 60 MINUTES

In the “60 minutes” episode aired last night, Yarden Bibas, Keith Siegel and Tal Shoham were interviewed by veteran journalist Leslie Stahl. During the interview, Keith Siegel shared unprecedented testimony that we had not yet heard in Israel—

I witnessed a young woman who the terrorists were torturing. I mean literal, you know, torture, not just in the figurative sense. Female hostages were sexually assaulted, with other captives made to watch, Keith Siegel said.

Hearing stories like that stirs conflicting emotions. On one hand, there is an imperative to end the war immediately to rescue anyone still alive; simultaneously, a profound rage compels swift retribution against all those responsible.

You can watch the entire interview here.

GAZA

The Army continues to apply limited pressure in Gaza. Today, it instructed Palestinians in Rafah to evacuate and head towards a humanitarian zone. The effectiveness of Israel's strategy, seems unchanged from last time. The apparent aim is to coerce Hamas into accepting a partial agreement. This strategy might succeed, and ideally, it will secure the release of additional hostages, though I fear it is unlikely.

WEST BANK

Additionally, there were reports of unprofessional conduct by Israeli troops in Jinba, located in the southern Hebron Hills. An investigation was carried out, and here are the findings:

The Commander of the IDF Central Command, Major General Avi Blot, concluded yesterday (Sunday) the investigation into the vandalism incident during an operational activity in the village of Jinba.

During the night between Friday and Saturday (March 28–29), IDF forces carried out an operation to locate weapons in the village of Jinba, in the southern Hebron Hills area.

Through the course of the operation, the forces conducted searches for weapons. Some of the searches were carried out in sensitive locations, including schools and a clinic, without the required authorization. In addition, soldiers vandalized and damaged equipment at the site in violation of orders and procedures, and in a manner not in keeping with the standards expected of IDF soldiers during operational activity or with IDF values. Furthermore, the forces did not report the irregular conduct, which was only discovered through footage later shared on social media.