Netanyahu’s Spokesman and Acting Chief of Staff Ziv Agmon Resigns Amid Racist Remarks Scandal

Israel: Ziv Agmon, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s personal spokesperson and acting chief of staff, announced his resignation on March 25, 2026, following a Channel 12 investigative report that exposed leaked audio recordings of him making derogatory and allegedly racist comments about Mizrahi Jews, Likud party lawmakers, and even the prime minister and his family.

In the recordings, Agmon reportedly referred to Likud MKs of Moroccan descent using slurs such as “baboon” and “retarded Moroccan,” questioned how they were elected to the Knesset, and made disparaging remarks about Netanyahu himself and his wife Sara. He also allegedly criticized other party figures and expressed frustration with aspects of the political environment.

Agmon initially offered his resignation the day the report aired but denied the comments were racist, calling the allegations “ridiculous.” He noted his own family’s Moroccan roots and claimed the remarks were made in private conversations before he joined the Prime Minister’s Office, taken out of context, and leaked to harm him. He expressed regret for any offense caused and said he was stepping down to avoid further division in “fateful days” that require unity.

Netanyahu initially accepted the apology and asked Agmon to stay until a replacement was found. However, after backlash from within the Likud party and broader political spectrum, including calls for immediate dismissal, Netanyahu reversed course. By early April 2026, he announced that Agmon would conclude his role in the coming days, to be replaced by Ido Norden.