Asher Hayon, Netanyahu’s former chief of staff, dies suddenly at 58

Asher Hayon, a former chief of staff and adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, died suddenly this morning at age 58, the Prime Minister’s Office says in a statement.

Hayon retired from public service in recent years due to health issues, according to Hebrew media reports, which also note that his roles were primarily administrative and strategic, and that he preferred to keep a low profile.

Netanyahu received the news “with deep shock and immense sorrow,” the premier says in the statement, saying he carried out his roles as office director and later as chief of staff in the PMO between 2018 and 2022 “with great loyalty,” adding that their relationship began when Hayon worked as his adviser two decades ago during the premier’s tenure as finance minister.

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“Asher accompanied me on a daily basis in routine times and in times of emergency. He did so, among other things, during [the 2021 IDF] Operation Guardian of the Walls, during the months of the coronavirus pandemic, and at the time of signing the [2020] Abraham Accords for peace,” Netanyahu adds.

“He possessed sound judgment, a huge heart, and human warmth,” the premier says, noting they stayed in touch in recent years.

Hayon, a Modiin resident, is survived by his wife Miti, their six children, and one grandson.