Amid deepening scandals at PMO, Netanyahu appoints DG Yossi Shelley as UAE Ambassador

The appointment of Yossi Shelley, Director-General of the Prime Minister's Office, as Israel's Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates was approved by the government on Sunday.

Shelley previously served as Ambassador to Brazil from 2017 to 2021 as well as the director general of the Beersheba Municipality.

"Yossi served as a very, very effective ambassador in Brazil. He established relations there not only with the President of Brazil but also with the Brazilian media, and he did a wonderful job there," Netanyahu said following the announcement at a cabinet meeting.

"He also did important and difficult work in the Prime Minister's Office during this period. I am sure that he will also do so in the United Arab Emirates. I wish him great success in his position."

Shelley is replacing Amir Hayek, who has been serving in the position since it was created on October 11, 2021; Yair Lapid appointed him during the brief Bennett-Lapid government.

Ambassadors typically serve in their role for three to four years and entirely at the government's discretion, except for the Ambassador to the US, who is appointed by the PM directly.

Scandals at the PMO

The move comes amid a deepening crisis at the Prime Minister's Office as several employees and advisors were questioned over several different scandals emerging from the PMO in the past few weeks.

Shelley has not been implicated in the scandals but served as director-general during the period in which these scandals occurred.

The scandals range from leaking classified information to foreign newspapers to altering the times of calls received immediately after the start of October 7.