Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has sacked his chief of staff, Ziv Agmon, following public outrage over leaked comments in which he allegedly made racist remarks.
Announcing the decision late Sunday via a post on 𝕏, Netanyahu said Agmon would step down in the coming days.
“Ziv Agmon will leave his post in the coming days once his successor, Ido Norden, takes office,” he stated.
Agmon, who served as acting chief of staff and spokesperson to the prime minister, had drawn criticism after reportedly referring to Jews of Moroccan descent as “baboons.”
He was also said to have made disparaging comments about members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, as well as the prime minister’s wife and son.
The remarks triggered widespread backlash, forcing a swift response from the prime minister’s office.
The announcement of Agmon’s removal marked a sharp turnaround by Netanyahu.
Less than two hours before confirming his exit, the Likud party’s official Telegram channel had quoted the prime minister as expressing a desire for Agmon to remain in office in the interest of “stability and continuity.”
Agmon’s successor, Norden, is already facing scrutiny over past actions.
Israeli journalists reported that he had allegedly created fake 𝕏 accounts to promote his book on the “deep state,” where he attributed Israel’s failure to prevent the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 2023, to shadowy institutional forces.
His appointment is also subject to clearance by the Shin Bet.
Norden, a lawyer and economist, currently chairs the “Forum of Senior Officials,” a right-wing think tank advocating greater ideological diversity within Israel’s public sector.
The group has consistently criticised what it describes as a “uniformity of thought” in government institutions.
The latest development adds to a growing list of controversies surrounding Netanyahu’s inner circle.
In recent weeks, his close ally, Tzachi Braverman, who has been designated as Israel’s future ambassador to London, was reportedly questioned by police over alleged interference in a leak investigation related to the Gaza war.
It is worth noting that Netanyahu’s aides have also been under scrutiny in the so-called “Qatargate” scandal, where former associates are accused of receiving funds from Qatar to improve the country’s image in Israel during the conflict.
