Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's choice of R. as the next director of the Israel Security Agency was almost a given.
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While his rival for the position would have been an equally obvious choice, R. has a clear advantage: for the past three years he has been the deputy director of the ISA – Shin Bet at it's more commonly knows – and as such he has been privy to all decisions. This made him Nadav Argaman's natural successor.
The claim that that Bennett appointed R. because they both served in the IDF's elite Sayaret Matkal commando unit is ridiculous. As important a line as that is on their résumés, it is a distant milestone in their past – nothing more. Both have come a long way sicne then and have net several times along the way – in meetings Bennett attended when he was defense minister and is the months since he took office as prime minister, meaning Bennett has had ample opportunity to get to know R. and become familiar with his qualities.
In his personal life, he is known as a foodie, he loves to travel abroad and he loves rowing. He's also a die-hard fan of Hapoel Tel Aviv FC.
Professionally, R. is widely considered an exceptional agent. He has more operations and enemy eliminations under his belt than the media is allowed to report on, and his is lauded for his sophisticated strategies, something that undoubtedly was a factor in the decision to name him Shin Bet chief .
Defense officials in the military and Mossad intelligence agency enthusiastically welcomed his appointment and most likely recommend him for the position in the first place.
As head of the Israel Security Agency, R. will have to quickly chart his path on which to lead the organization. Argaman leaves him a stable agency with a strong organizational and human infrastructure, and with quite a few achievements, most prominently a stable security situation in Judea and Samaria, where the number of terrorist attacks is low, as well as a significant increase in the Shin Bet's cyber capabilities.
R.'s task will be more complicated than his predecessor's, and also slightly different. First, he will have to quickly form his own "hive" – appoint a new deputy and also appoint some new division heads.
He will also have to decide on what is arguably a volatile issue: how to operate in the Arab sector.
The Shin Bet failed to provide warning prior to the riots that swept through Israel's mixed cities in May during Operation Guardian of the Walls, and was required to conduct a review.
This is an issue that requires an immediate response, especially given the rising violence in the Arab sector. He will have to decide whether to continue with the line Argaman used, which left the Arab Israeli sector mostly for the Israel Police to handle, or involve the Shin Bet.
The agency has plenty of reasons to get involved, from the fact that most of the illegal weapons were stolen from the IDF and could be used for terrorist activities, to the threat that this violence poses to the state.
The new ISA director will also have to pay special attention to Judea and Samaria. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas' term in office is waning and the Shin Bet will have to provide ample intelligence on the question of "what happens next" for the PA once Abbas is gone, including gearing up for the possibility that Hamas – or more radical elements within Fatah – will make a play for control of the Palestinian Authority.
This would require R. to bolster cooperation with Palestinian security forces, especially given the diplomatic disconnect between Jerusalem and Ramallah.
The Shin Bet will also have to prepare for a potential escalation in the Gaza Strip and provide the defense establishment with consistent, solid intelligence that would enable Israel to prevent terrorist groups in the coastal enclave from growing stronger and, if need be, target them in a future operation.
He has extensive experience in operations in this sector, but now the overall responsibility will be placed on him, including for a possible decision on the elimination of Hamas leaders.
Last, but in no way least, R. will need to further expand the Shin Bet's cooperation with the IDF, the Mossad, and the Israel Police.
Relations between these organizations are immeasurably better now than they were in the past, but there is still a long way to go before they fully realize the relative capabilities and benefits of each organization, which will inevitably lead to greater operational efficiency, as well as saving on overhead.
In any case, R. passed his first test with flying colors: his appointment was welcomed by Shin Bet officials, including Argaman. There were no jolts to the system, no one was shocked, no doors were slammed. All that's left is for the government still has to formally approve the nomination and then R. will be able to emerge from the shadows and become a known public official.
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