Israel: In Trump’s Pocket
By 
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel backed away from his nominee to lead Israel’s domestic intelligence service on Tuesday, after conservative allies attacked the candidate for criticizing President Trump and Israeli media reported that he had protested judicial overhauls pushed by the government.
Mr. Netanyahu had backed Eli Sharvit, a former commander of Israel’s navy, to lead the Shin Bet intelligence agency after he dismissed his predecessor, Ronen Bar. But the Israeli leader dropped Mr. Sharvit a day after the Monday announcement amid a backlash from the right, partly because he had written a column two months ago criticizing Mr. Trump for rolling back policies to fight climate change.
Mr. Netanyahu’s office said that he had met with Mr. Sharvit to inform him that he would pursue other candidates for the job, without specifying a reason. As the country’s domestic security agency, the Shin Bet plays a key role in the war in Gaza and Israel’s decades-long occupation of the West Bank.
Mr. Netanyahu removed Mr. Bar from the post last month, saying he could no longer trust him. Critics called the move an attempt by Mr. Netanyahu to purge dissenting views from the top ranks of Israel’s security establishment and the decision prompted protests.
Bibi knows who butters his bread I guess.