“It's not been confirmed officially, but this is the name I’m familiar with”, she revealed.
Tzipi Hotovely (right) with Israel's foreign minister (second from the right) and David Lammy (second from the left), (Image: Shlomi Amsalem, MFA)[Missing Credit]
Until the final confirmation and arrival of the new ambassador, which is not likely to be until November, the post will be filled by the deputy ambassador, Daniela Grudsky Ekstein.
Braverman, 66, has served as chief of staff to Netanyahu since April 2022 when the now-head of state was leading the opposition and retained the post following Likud’s victory in the legislative elections that December.
He is thought to be the most powerful person serving in Netanyahu’s office and, along with his wife Nava, is a close friend and ally of the prime minister’s family.
Braverman, who recently accompanied the Bibi on a trip to the United States, has not escaped controversy during his career. He is currently under investigation for suspected fraud and forgery over suspected alteration of records in the Prime Minister’s Office, according to Israeli media. Recent reports allege he altered the time Netanyahu first gave instructions on how to deal with the Hamas invasion on the morning of October 7 2023.
At the time, Netanyahu’s office denied the claims of misconduct, calling them “another complete fabrication that is also part of an unprecedented media witch hunt against the Prime Minister’s Office during wartime, designed to whitewash the grave failures of others on the night of October 7.”
Braverman also denied the allegations as “slander” and “wild incitement.”
The ambassador-in-waiting previously served as Cabinet Secretariat, taking responsibility for setting the agenda for government meetings and ministerial committees, and acted as a government spokesperson from 2016 and 2021.
On the day of the 2021 legislative elections, he posted a photo on social media showing he was voting for Likud, seemingly in violation of rules preventing civil servants from publicly declaring their politics. This led to an investigation by the commission.
