Bibi’s Security Adviser Nominee Withdraws from Running

Local Editor

Five months after becoming the candidate for the security adviser in the "Israeli" Prime Minister's Office, Brig. Gen. Avriel Bar-Yosef announced on Thursday he was withdrawing his name for the post after the cabinet had not yet approved his appointment.

In his announcement, Bar-Yosef said, "I have decided to relinquish the appointment and accept offers in the private sector".

However, he voiced his support for "Israeli" Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who nominated him five months ago to replace Yossi Cohen. "I am always willing to stand at the prime minister's side and aid him on behalf of the country and its security."

Netanyahu announced Bar-Yosef's appointment as security adviser and the head of the Security Council at the end of February. Bar-Yosef was to replace Yossi Cohen, who left his post at the end of last year to become director of the Mossad espionage agency.

After the Service Commission gave approval for Bar-Yosef's appointment, in March the committee that vets senior service appointments also gave him its approval.

Since then the Ometz advocacy group for good government has provided the Service Commission and the legal adviser to the "Israeli" Prime Minister's Office with information concerning suspicions Bar-Yosef allegedly received various benefits and had acted with a conflict of interest when he conducted business relationships with private companies outside the "Israeli" entity operating in the natural gas and shipping industries.

The Service Commission and the "Israeli" PMO passed the complaint on to the attorney general, who instructed the police to open an investigation into the matter.

The investigation has been continuing for a number of months. Bar-Yosef's appointment was, in practice, frozen during this period and his appointment was not brought to the cabinet for approval.

Bar-Yosef pointed out that too much time has passed and he has waited patiently for four months, but in the end a person "must continue with their life."

"I received an offer from the private sector that I could not refuse. I was honest with everyone but I need to continue and live. I spoke in the past few days with the prime minister and told him I had decided to give up on the appointment. Netanyahu told me that he is very sorry that was what I decided," said Bar-Yosef.

Bar-Yosef said that not a single legal or police official has spoken with him to clarify the claims against him over the months he has been waiting for cabinet approval.

Netanyahu must now decide whether to make Brig. Gen. Jacob Nagel's appointment permanent or find another candidate for security adviser.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team