Popular English-language government spokesman Eylon Levy has been suspended from his position after a social media post that angered British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
Levy was suspended more than a week ago by the head of the National Public Diplomacy Directorate, Moshik Aviv. He has become a familiar face in many Israeli households and internationally through his interviews with global media outlets since the onset of Israel's war against Hamas in Gaza.
Levy's post on the X platform on March 7 was in response to a statement by Cameron, in which he stated that he had pressed Israel to increase the flow of aid to Gaza, and that the UK is still "not seeing improvements on the ground."
Levy responded: "It is factually incorrect that the flow of aid has not increased. Last week we had a record 277 trucks. Over the past 2 weeks, there have been nearly 50% MORE food trucks entering compared with before the war. Israel’s crossings have excess capacity and if the UK wants more aid to enter Gaza, it should send it and we’ll make sure it gets in."
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This post drew a protest from the British government, and a demand to clarify whether Levy's words constitute the position of the Israeli government.
Levy's on-air appearances have been reduced in recent months amid reports that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, demanded that he be fired after learning that he had posted statements against the government and participated in demonstrations against the judicial reform prior to the start of the war with Hamas in Gaza on October 7.
Sources in the Prime Minister's Office said that Levy had been in the crosshairs for a long time and that it seems that he is "busy from morning to night promoting himself and running an independent agenda."
It is unclear whether Levy's suspension will turn into a dismissal, and sources familiar with the matter say that if they wanted to fire him they would not be content with just his suspension.
In Levy's most memorable interview, a British journalist questioned him about the disparity between the number of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners released as part of the first hostage release deal. The interviewer suggested that Israel seemingly undervalues Palestinian lives, given the imbalance in the numbers released. Levy quickly dismissed it as an "outrageous accusation." However, it was the visibly shocked look on his face and his raised eyebrows that grabbed headlines and went on to inspire countless Internet memes.