US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) openly called on Prime Minister Netanyahu to withdraw his choice of VADM Eli Sharvit for the position of ISA (Shin Bet) due to his open criticism of US President Donald Trump.
The Senator wrote in a post on X on Monday: "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.
He noted that "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 will create unnecessary stress at a critical time."
He concluded: "My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting."
Sharvit published an opinion piece in Calcalist just days after Trump's second inauguration titled "Not just a political error: Trump is pushing the Earth into the abyss." In the column, the former Navy commanding officer voiced harsh criticism of the president's environmental policies.
At one point in the article, Sharvit writes: "Trump's shortsightedness sends a shocking message to the world of disregard for scientific reality, the well-being of humanity, and responsibility to future generations. This approach is nothing more than a political version of 'eat and drink for tomorrow we die' - an attempt to evade global consequences by satisfying the immediate interests of polluting fuel industries."
In Israel as well, Netanyahu's decision to appoint Sharvit was met with opposition both from the left and the right, for varying reasons, including his lack of a background in intelligence.
Many in Netanyahu's own camp objected to the decision since the Vice Admiral has expressed his personal opinions on volatile issues after his discharge from the military in 2021 and even participated in the Kaplan protests against the judicial reform.
"Anyone who protests on Kaplan against the government should not serve in a public position under a right-wing government. If a left-wing government arises, they might be worthy, but not in a right-wing government. A right-wing government must govern without fear. It must appoint individuals who have principles, are national-minded, and are deserving. We must not repeat the mistakes of the past," MK Moshe Saada (Likud) told Arutz Sheva-Israel National News.
At the same time, on the left, many conceded that Sharvit was fit for the position but opposed the appointment, mostly since the dismissal of current ISA Director Ronen Bar is subject to a Supreme Court ruling on several petitions against the move.
Speaking at his party's faction meeting, National Unity Party chairman Benny Gantz called the move "another process to crush democracy" in an attempt to "challenge the Supreme Court and put it up against a done deal," which could lead to a "constitutional crisis."
Gantz claimed that the move aims to "stain the justice system and security organizations," and directly connected it to the Qatar-Gate affair, stating: "It's not by chance that as the matter of Qatar-Gate progresses, so does his determination to fight the systems that oversee the investigation. The deeper the investigation, the deeper the undermining."