Cabinet Approves Appointment of New National Security Adviser

The cabinet unanimously approved Sunday the appointment of Meir Ben-Shabbat as head of the National Security Directorate and National Security Advisor.

Ben-Shabbat, a former senior official in the Shin Bet, assumed the position head of the National Security Council (NSC) in August, pending cabinet approval.

Throughout his years in the Shin Bet, he performed a wide range of management duties in the operational and headquarter divisions. Among them, he headed two brigades and served as head of three divisions: the Cyber Division, the National Anti-Terror Espionage and the Research and Policy branch.

At the weekly cabinet meeting, Netanyahu hailed Ben-Shabbat for his “sharpness of mind, his rich experience, the clarity in which he presents matters…

“There is no better candidate for the position,” Netanyahu said.

Yossi Cohen, current Mossad chief, served as national security adviser from 2013 to 2015. When he left, the post was left empty.

Yaakov Nagel served as acting national security adviser from 2015 until March of this year. He was replaced on an interim basis by Eitan Ben-David.