Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has removed his chief of staff, Ziv Agmon, after strong public reactions to leaked comments in which he allegedly made racist remarks.
Netanyahu made the announcement late on Sunday through a post on đť•Ź, stating that Agmon would soon leave his position.
“Ziv Agmon will leave his post in the coming days once his successor, Ido Norden, takes office,” he stated. 
Agmon, who worked as acting chief of staff and also served as spokesperson to the prime minister, came under criticism after he was reported to have described Jews of Moroccan origin as “baboons.” He was also accused of making negative remarks about members of the Likud party, as well as the prime minister’s wife and son.
The comments caused widespread anger and led to immediate reactions from the public, forcing the prime minister’s office to act quickly.
The decision to remove Agmon came shortly after an earlier position appeared to support him. Less than two hours before the announcement, the Likud party’s official Telegram channel quoted Netanyahu as saying he wanted Agmon to remain in office for the sake of “stability and continuity.”
Agmon’s replacement, Ido Norden, is already attracting attention over past actions. Reports by Israeli journalists claimed he once created fake 𝕏 accounts to promote his book about the “deep state.” In the book, he blamed Israel’s failure to stop the October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on hidden institutional forces.
His appointment will also need approval from Shin Bet.
Norden, a lawyer and economist, currently leads the “Forum of Senior Officials,” a right-wing group that supports more ideological diversity in Israel’s public sector. The group has often criticised what it calls a lack of diverse thinking within government institutions.
This development adds to recent controversies involving people close to Netanyahu. One of his allies, Tzachi Braverman, who has been named as Israel’s next ambassador to London, was reportedly questioned by police over claims he interfered in an investigation linked to a leak during the Gaza war.
In addition, some of Netanyahu’s aides have been mentioned in the “Qatargate” scandal, where former associates are accused of receiving money from Qatar to improve its image in Israel during the conflict.
