The appointments committee of the Prime Minister's Office has selected Noam Shapira for the position of head of the National Information Directorate - a role that has been vacant for nearly three years since January 2023. The last head of the National Information Directorate was Gadi Ezra. Shapira, a lieutenant colonel (ret.) and former member of the IDF General Staff Reconnaissance Unit, is an engineer and educator. Sources who competed for the position and were invited to interviews claimed the tender for his selection was rigged and that they knew in advance Shapira would be chosen, and that everyone who competed for the position received notification of Shapira's selection 20 minutes after the meeting ended. The Prime Minister's Office rejected the claims and said Shapira was selected unanimously and that he presented very impressive qualifications.