The appointment of naval chief Vice-Admiral (res.) Eli Sharvit as Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief is "beyond problematic," Sen. Lindsey Graham shared on X/Twitter on Monday.
He referred to statements made by Sharvit against US President Donald Trump, noting, "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."
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… https://t.co/26bgwO9yfO
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) March 31, 2025
"My advice to my Israeli friends is change course and do better vetting," he added.
Graham's comment was made in reference to an op-ed published by Calcalist on January 23, penned by Sharvit, who headed the Green energy company QD-SOL, in which he criticized Trump for his policies regarding climate change.
"President Trump chose to abandon the important goal of zero emissions by 2050 and focus on promoting polluting fuels, based on a short-term conservative perspective aimed at maximizing immediate profits," Sharvit wrote.
"The impact of his destructive policies continues to resonate," Sharvit wrote of the president's actions.
"We live in an era where the public demands more accountability from governments and corporations. Trump's choice to ignore these demands sends a message to the world that the United States is shirking its global leadership," Sharvit further wrote, adding, "American leadership on climate and the environment failed under the previous Trump administration, and now it is our responsibility to ensure that it does not fail again."
Sharvit's appointment
Netanyahu on Monday appointed former Sharvit as the new Shin Bet chief.
Due to a petition to the High Court of Justice, the appointment will not go into effect before April 8, and may be further delayed.
Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.