Prime Minister Netanyahu’s political allies at home and a White House-allied American legislator, Senator Graham, seem to have killed a nomination to head Israel’s internal security agency. The nominee, Vice-Admiral Eli Sharvit, has criticized President Trump’s policies as “short sighted.”

Early Monday, many Israelis were surprised when the premier announced that his candidate to head Shabak, the country’s equivalent of America’s FBI that is also known as the Shin Bet, is a former Israeli Navy commander, Admiral Sharvit. The name of the retired Israel Defense Force navy man was not among those widely reported to be on Mr. Netanayhu’s short list. 

Some of the prime minister’s coalition partners were outraged. The storied seadog, it turned out, participated in an anti-government protest. On the other hand, other supporters and even some of Mr. Netanyahu’s detractors complimented him for naming a warrior with several daring clandestine operations under his wing. 

While Mr. Netanyahu himself might have overlooked his detractors, a new twist seems to have proved too troublesome to ignore — Admiral Sharvit once committed the mortal sin of publicly criticizing President Trump. According to Israeli reports, the nomination is now dead on arrival.

After leaving the Israel Defense Force, Admiral Sharvit served on the boards of several companies involved in renewable energy innovation. As such, he wrote an op-ed criticizing President Trump, which to some sounded like it could have been penned by former Vice President Gore. Senator Graham took offense.       

“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,” Mr. Graham wrote on X. “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 policies will create unnecessary stress at a critical time. My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting.”

Mr. Graham linked his posting to a Jerusalem Post report on the Sharvit nomination. His concern, though, was likely over a January Hebrew-language op-ed in the financial newspaper Kalkalist penned by Admiral Sharvit.

“Hard to believe that at a time that climate is hitting us mercilessly, the incoming American administration, led by Donald Trump, is choosing to return the world to fossil fuels and to retreat from green energy,” Admiral Sharvit wrote. 

Mr. Trump’s “short sightedness,” he added, “is conveying to the world a shocking message that ignores reality and science, harms the welfare of the human race, and eschews responsibility for future generations.” The admiral also accused Mr. Trump of “attempting to avoid global consequences in order to satisfy the needs of the fossil fuel industry.”

At home, Admiral Sharvit also reportedly signed a letter opposing the Netanyahu-led judicial reform that tore the country apart before the October, 2023, war. While some supporters have nevertheless described him as non-political, others used the admiral’s rare public appearances to pressure Mr. Netanyahu to rescind the nomination. 

“Mr. Prime Minister, who is whispering in your ear?” a right wing member of Mr. Netanyahu’s Likud party, Tali Gotlieb, wrote in Hebrew on X. “Are there no upstanding brave people on the right who could lead the Shabak? With all due respect Eli Sharvit participated in Kaplan protests.” 

She referred to one of many weekly gatherings on Tel Aviv Kaplan Street that the admiral attended. That particular one  was over the March, 2023, firing of Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, which was rescinded under tremendous public pressure. Mr. Gallant was fired again earlier this year. 

Last month Mr. Netanyahu once again enraged his political opponents when he announced the firing of the Shabak chief, Ronen Bar. Shortly after the October 7 massacre, Mr. Bar admitted his agency’s failure to predict the surprise Hamas attack. He remained at the organization’s helm, though, and served on the team that negotiated deals to release the hostages. 

While Admiral Sharvit commanded many clandestine operations, he had no intelligence experience. Mr. Netanyahu, though, seemed to favor a Shabak leader who comes from outside the system that has failed on October 7. The premier might have also attempted to prove wrong those who claim his picks are too political. 

Either way, political pressures at home and a nod of disapproval from Washington likely made the Sharvit nomination one of Israel’s shortest lived.