- ‘These leaks came from Netanyahu’s office, and it must be verified if the Prime Minister was aware of them,’ says opposition leader Yair Lapid
JERUSALEM
On Nov. 8, Israel’s Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara allowed investigations into security leaks, forgery, and alternation of protocols involving the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
One of the cases being investigated is related to the theft, manipulation, and leakage of information from the military to foreign media to influence public opinion on a possible hostage swap deal with Palestinian factions in Gaza.
This investigation has led to the arrest of five people, including an adviser in Netanyahu’s office and a senior officer.
Netanyahu is suspected of leaking documents obtained by the Israeli military from Gaza to the German daily Bild and London-based weekly newspaper The Jewish Chronicle with modified documents suggesting that they belonged to the late Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
These leaks, which sought to give the impression that Hamas did not want a swap deal and was seeking to smuggle Israeli hostages through the Philadelphi Corridor near the Egyptian border, were cited by Netanyahu on Sept. 2 to justify an Israeli ground operation in Rafah in southern Gaza and to reject swap deal demands.
Blackmailing
The second case involves alleged attempts to alter documents regarding early warnings before the Hamas attack on Oct. 7, 2023, potentially affecting any official inquiry into security failures on that day.
The third investigation focuses on efforts by officials in Netanyahu's office to blackmail a senior officer in the military secretariat to obtain classified information.
The fourth investigation pertains to a video of former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant being blocked by security guards from entering Netanyahu's office shortly after the onset of the Gaza war.
Additionally, Tzachi Hanegbi, the head of the Israeli National Security Council and a close associate of Netanyahu, is facing a separate investigation.
Hanegbi is being investigated on suspicion of accepting a bribe of 10,000 shekels (about $2,677) for a recommendation letter.
History of leaks
These investigations have drawn attention to what political analyst Roy Rubinstein described in an article in the Israeli daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Nov. 8 as Netanyahu's “long history of leaks.”
Rubinstein said in his article that Netanyahu's supporters and opponents agree that he "can’t be trusted with secrets," citing numerous instances when he leaked information or documents - whether as prime minister, opposition leader, or Knesset member.
He pointed to one of the most famous leaks involving Netanyahu in 2007 when he, as opposition leader, publicly confirmed an Israeli attack on Syrian nuclear facilities, congratulating then
Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and risking a violation of Israel's long-standing policy of ambiguity regarding such operations.
'Israel’s biggest leaker'
In an article published in Israel Hayom newspaper on Feb. 15, 2024, political analyst Yoav Limor described Netanyahu as "Israel's biggest leaker."
Supporting his view, Limor cited Netanyahu’s 1995 leak of a document on a potential peace deal with Syria, when he was opposition leader.
In addition to what Rubinstein and Limor noted, the past decade has seen numerous other leak incidents involving Netanyahu.
In Oct. 2012, sensitive information from the security cabinet’s discussions on plans to strike Iran was leaked, raising concerns about information security within the political leadership.
Similarly, in March 2015, Israel leaked classified details about the Iran nuclear negotiations to US Congress members in an attempt to influence their stance on the agreement with Tehran.
Each of these cases ignited significant debates in Israel about handling sensitive information and the implications of leaks on national security, sparking questions about the role of political leaders in safeguarding classified information.
Disaster
However, the issue of leaks in Israel is not new but dates back much further, as shown in documents and investigations from the Shimon Agranat Commission on the 1973 War with Egypt.
During consultations at then-Prime Minister Golda Meir’s office on Oct. 9, 1973, Meir proposed what she called a “crazy” idea: flying to Washington for 24 hours to brief US President Richard Nixon on the latest war developments.
She implored those present not to leak this idea, saying, “I swear to God that this must remain a secret among us,” stressing the critical importance of secrecy.
When asked by the Agranat Commission if there was a specific system for what should be told to the Israeli government about important and sensitive information, Meir replied, “A disaster ruins many things; the issue of leaks threatens many matters.”
Accusations against Netanyahu
Upon learning of the leaks involving Netanyahu’s office, opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticized the prime minister, calling him “unfit to lead Israel” and accusing him of exploiting state secrets for political and personal gains.
“These leaks came from Netanyahu’s office, and it must be verified if the Prime Minister was aware of them,” Lapid said in a post on X on Nov. 7.
On the same day, former Defense Minister Benny Gantz remarked that the issue “is not merely a suspicion of a leak but rather the trading of state secrets for political purposes.”
Meanwhile, Yair Golan, leader of the Democrats Party in Israel, accused Netanyahu of knowingly and deliberately harming the army and national security during wartime through his leaks.
Golan stated on X on Nov. 6, "Netanyahu prioritizes himself over the citizens of Israel... he is unfit to hold office. We have an illegitimate Prime Minister and an illegitimate government."
In a contrasting view, Social Equality Minister May Golan stirred controversy by comparing Netanyahu to US President-elect Donald Trump, noting similarities in how both confront political opponents and the judicial and media institutions.
Speaking in the Knesset on Nov. 7, Golan said, “Netanyahu and Trump both face legal persecution, with the judicial system being used against them for political purposes.”
Golan suggested that this comparison was intended to bolster Netanyahu’s image as a “leader,” not only within the ruling Likud Party but as a “popular figure,” taking inspiration from Trump’s model of political resurgence.
Lie detector test
While Netanyahu has previously blamed cabinet members for leaks and demanded that all ministers undergo lie detector tests to identify the source, writer Yoav Limor called for the prime minister to take the test before any other Israeli political figure.
In this context, Avigdor Lieberman, head of the Yisrael Beiteinu Party, asserted that Netanyahu consistently refuses to undergo a lie detector test.
In an interview with Israeli newspaper Maariv on Nov. 7, Lieberman revealed that he had proposed, during his time in government, that every minister or cabinet member take an annual lie detector test, but Netanyahu would always dismiss the suggestion.
*Writing by Rania Abu Shamala
