U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham expressed strong disapproval of Sharvit’s potential leadership, labeling the appointment as highly concerning due to Sharvit’s past statements regarding Trump.

Netanyahu’s office said on Tuesday that the prime minister was withdrawing the nomination a day after he proposed Vice Admiral Eli Sharvit as the next chief of the domestic security service Shin Bet. The about-face followed criticism from the US, the key backer of the Israeli government’s war in Gaza and military exploits across the wider region.