U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham sharply criticized on Monday the potential appointment of former Israeli Navy chief Eli Sharvit as the next head of the Shin Bet security agency, calling it "beyond problematic" due to Sharvit’s past remarks about President Donald Trump.
In a post on X, the Republican senator from South Carolina wrote, “While it is undeniably true that America has no better friend than Israel, the appointment of Eli Sharvit to be the new leader of the Shin Bet is beyond problematic. There has never been a better supporter for the State of Israel than President Trump. The statements made by Eli Sharvit about President Trump and his polices [sic] will create unnecessary stress at a critical time. My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting."
The criticism came just hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced Sharvit as his pick to lead the Shin Bet, even before the High Court was set to deliberate on the dismissal of current agency chief Ronen Bar. Despite the official announcement, Israeli political sources indicated the nomination may already be in jeopardy.
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While Sharvit had previously taken part in protests against the government's judicial reform, sources close to Netanyahu insisted that was not the reason for the apparent reversal. They said the prime minister was aware of Sharvit’s limited participation in a protest but saw no disqualifying issue — noting that Sharvit neither took the stage nor gave a speech.
However, a column Sharvit penned in January in Ynet's sister publication Calcalist, criticizing Trump and his policies, reportedly caught Netanyahu’s team by surprise and was cited as the turning point in reconsidering the appointment. The timing of Graham’s post has fueled speculation that there may have been coordination between the senator and Netanyahu’s office.