Netanyahu removes top aide after leaked remarks trigger backlash

JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has removed his acting chief of staff after leaked comments attributed to the aide sparked outrage, according to a statement posted by the premier on X.

Netanyahu said late on Sunday that Ziv Agmon would leave his position in the coming days after his successor, Ido Norden, assumes office. Agmon had been serving as Netanyahu’s acting chief of staff and spokesperson.

The move came after reported leaked remarks in which Agmon allegedly referred to Jews of Moroccan origin as baboons and also made disparaging comments about members of Netanyahu’s Likud party, as well as the prime minister’s wife and son.

Norden’s appointment marked a swift change in direction. Less than two hours earlier, Likud’s official Telegram channel had quoted Netanyahu as saying he wanted Agmon to stay in the role in the interest of stability and continuity.

Scrutiny over replacement

Norden has also come under attention following his selection. Israeli journalists reported on Monday that he had operated fake X accounts to promote his book on the deep state. In that book, he links Israel’s failure to stop the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023, to what he describes as shadowy institutional forces.

His appointment still requires vetting by the Shin Bet domestic security service.

A lawyer and economist, Norden heads the Forum of Senior Officials, a right-wing think-tank that calls for greater ideological diversity in Israel’s public sector and opposes what it describes as its uniformity of thought.

Fresh turbulence in Netanyahu’s office

The latest personnel change adds to a series of controversies involving Netanyahu’s close circle.

Recently, Tzachi Braverman, a close Netanyahu ally who has been designated as Israel’s future ambassador to London, was questioned by police over alleged interference in a leak investigation connected to the Gaza war.

Netanyahu’s inner circle has also remained under scrutiny in the so-called Qatargate scandal. In that case, former aides are accused of receiving Qatari money to improve Qatar’s image in Israel during the war.

Netanyahu has repeatedly faced upheaval among senior staff over the years, and the latest reshuffle underscores continuing instability around the prime minister’s office.