Exiled in Miami: Has Sara Netanyahu Lost Control of the Prime Minister’s Office?

For years, Sara Netanyahu has been the most powerful unelected figure in Israeli politics. With no official title or public role, her influence was drawn from proximity — from her physical presence in the Prime Minister’s Office, her direct line to the inner circle, her reputation as a "human profiler" trusted by her husband to sniff out disloyalty before it bloomed.

But recent developments suggest that this grip may be loosening. Sources close to the Prime Minister claim that the bizarre episode surrounding Eli Sharvit’s failed appointment as head of the Shin Bet marks a turning point — a moment when the balance of power inside the most secretive corridors of Israeli leadership may be shifting away from Sara Netanyahu, and toward a new axis of influence: Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman and media ally Yaakov Bardugo.

A Shadow Advisor in Retreat?

According to political insiders, the very fact that Eli Sharvit’s name was even put forward — let alone officially announced — is a sign that Sara Netanyahu either wasn’t involved in the decision, or was involved but ignored. “For Sara, even one protest on Kaplan Street is enough to disqualify a candidate,” said one source. “If she had been in the room, it never would have happened.”

Sharvit, a former Navy commander with a relatively clean image, was reportedly pushed forward by Braverman, with Bardugo — helping close the loop with Netanyahu. The move was a direct challenge to Sara’s traditional role as gatekeeper of senior appointments.

Bardugo himself lavished praise on Sharvit in a media interview — only to backtrack hours later after it becam`e clear that the nomination wouldn’t proceed. The Braverman-Bardugo axis had lost this round. But the very fact that Sara Netanyahu had to "reverse" a decision already in motion was, to many, a sign of her diminished standing.

The Miami Mystery

Fueling this theory is Sara Netanyahu’s highly unusual 75-day absence from Israel — spent mostly in Miami, without public explanation. For someone whose political influence has always been closely tied to her physical presence in the Prime Minister’s Office, such a prolonged stay abroad raised eyebrows.

The last time Prime Minister Netanyahu visited Washington, photos emerged from high-level meetings with former President Trump, the Secretary of Defense, and the Speaker of the House — and in none of them did Sara appear. For a woman known to never miss a photo-op with dignitaries, this was unprecedented.

Another moment that fueled speculation: in January, while the Prime Minister was undergoing prostate surgery, the person waiting outside his recovery room at Hadassah Ein Kerem wasn’t his wife — it was Braverman. And the moment was duly documented and shared with the press.

Behind the Curtain

This isn’t the first high-profile appointment made in defiance of Sara Netanyahu’s reported preferences. When the time came to name a new IDF Chief of Staff, she allegedly pushed hard for Maj. Gen. David Zini — whose family ties connect back to the Falic family, with whom she reportedly stayed while in Miami. But Zini was not even granted an interview. The appointment went instead to Maj. Gen. Eyal Zamir — again, a candidate backed by Braverman and Bardugo.

Sources say that since returning to Israel, Sara has been showing up at the Prime Minister’s Office far less frequently. This doesn’t mean she has disappeared from Netanyahu’s decision-making process. Her trusted confidante, Drorit Steinmetz, was recently appointed acting director-general of the PMO. And in the end, she did succeed in blocking the Sharvit nomination. But insiders agree: something has shifted.

A Power Struggle in Plain Sight

The Netanyahu office is no stranger to rival factions, but the current dynamic appears particularly sharp. On one side stands Sara Netanyahu, long seen as a political compass and enforcer of loyalty. On the other, Tzachi Braverman — the chief of staff who, along with Bardugo, is increasingly calling the shots on appointments, strategy, and messaging.

Whether this shift proves temporary or permanent remains to be seen. But as Israel faces internal turmoil, war, and mounting pressure from abroad, the question of who truly holds power inside the Prime Minister’s circle has never been more relevant.