Ben-Shabbat to end term in August
National Security Council head Meir Ben-Shabbat notified Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Wednesday he intends to end his term after four years in office.
Earlier this month he had agreed to remain in his position until further notice to ensure functional continuity and an easier transition for the new government. Ben-Shabbat said that he is planning to vacate his position by the end of August.
Bennett thanked Ben-Shabbat for his service as the head of the council, noting his contribution to Israel’s national security.
“I would like to commend Meir Ben-Shabbat for his many years of contributing to Israel’s security in a professional and successful manner,” Bennett wrote in a statement on Twitter.
“Even in the coronavirus crisis, Meir worked day and night for the health of the citizens of Israel, and functioned in a way worthy of appreciation,” he said.
Defense Minister Benny Gantz also thanked him for “strengthening the external and internal security of the State of Israel.”
Three ex-security figures were said to be on the shortlist to replace Ben-Shabbat: former deputy chief of staff Maj.-Gen. (ret.) Yair Naveh, Maj.-Gen. (ret.)Amos Yadlin and former national security adviser Yaakov Amidror.
Naveh was head of the Home Front Command and Central Command before serving as deputy chief of staff in 2010-2014.
Yadlin was a general in the Israel Air Force, military attaché to the US and the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate.
Amidror is said to be lower on the list as Bennett is concerned about hiring someone who may be a loyalist to opposition leader Benjamin Netanyahu.