S., who served as acting head of the Shin Bet following the resignation of Ronen Bar, is stepping down from his post as deputy chief of Israel’s internal security service amid a breakdown of trust with Shin Bet chief David Zini.
The Shin Bet said Tuesday evening that Zini accepted S.’s request to end his service in the coming period, concluding a 30-year career in the organization.
“With the chief’s entry into office, the two agreed that S. would continue serving as his deputy until the service stabilized and S. deemed it appropriate,” the Shin Bet said in a statement. “The Shin Bet chief expressed deep appreciation for S.’s significant service in a wide range of field and headquarters roles, and for his willingness to serve as deputy.”
S. assumed the role of acting Shin Bet chief in June, after Bar resigned, and held the post until Zini formally took office. His departure follows a confrontation between the two and disagreements on several key issues.
Among them were S.’s decision to report to Israel’s High Court of Justice on meetings Zini held with a Shin Bet official suspected of leaking information, as well as S.’s firm opposition to a proposed strike against senior Hamas terrorists in Doha.
Zini will now be required to appoint a new deputy chief, just two and a half months after taking office. It remains unclear whether he will choose a candidate from within the organization or an external figure. The appointment will be his first major personnel decision.
S., 53, is regarded as one of the Shin Bet’s most respected senior officials. He joined the organization in 1995 as an intelligence officer in the Arab sector, operating in the Jerusalem area and the West Bank, and went on to hold a series of senior operational and command roles.
Between 1995 and 2010, he served in field, management and command positions, including as Jerusalem district coordinator and head of training for field coordinators. He later became head of the Shin Bet’s SIGINT cyber division, and then chief of staff to the head of the service, a position held at the time by Yoram Cohen.
In 2014, S. was appointed head of the Shin Bet’s research division, where he stood out for his intelligence briefings to Israel’s political leadership and the security cabinet, strengthening his reputation as a leading expert in the field. After two years, he took a yearlong academic leave.
From 2017 to 2019, he headed the counterterrorism division in the Samaria region, a period marked by a rise in attacks by local terrorist cells. Under his leadership, the division developed tailored operational responses. He later served as head of the counterintelligence division and then as head of the staff division, responsible for force buildup within the organization.
Since his appointment as deputy Shin Bet chief earlier this year, S. has led efforts to implement lessons learned from the October 7 terror attack. He was responsible for operational force deployment, including targeted counterterrorism operations against Hamas and Iranian elements inside Israel.
Those close to him described S. as a professional focused on the mission, avoiding the spotlight and operating quietly and decisively in the face of some of the most complex national security challenges Israel has faced.
S. is married and a father of three. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in business administration. During his military service, he served as a fighter and officer in the Golani Brigade.