Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Credit: Christophe Ena/AFP)
Several individuals connected to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, including his aide, were arrested Friday for leaking classified information, according to Israeli media reports citing the Rishon Lezion District Court announcement of the arrests.
In an article published on Friday evening, the American media outlet Axios pointed out that these arrests are at the heart of what is likely to be the biggest scandal within the Israeli government since the start of the war in Gaza. What remains unknown, the report points out, is whether Netanyahu was privy to the leaks, which may have been intended to influence Israeli public opinion in his favor.
The arrests were part of a joint investigation by the Shin Bet (Israeli internal security), police, and the Israeli military, based on suspicions of endangering sensitive information and compromising war objectives in Gaza, Judge Menachem Mizrahi stated in the announcement, as cited by i24 News and the Jerusalem Post.
The judge noted, as reported by the Times of Israel, that the three agencies had entered the "open phase" of their joint investigation into an alleged breach of national security stemming from the leak of classified information. "Several suspects have been arrested for questioning, and the investigation is ongoing," he said, without disclosing further details about the suspects' identities or specifying whether any were collaborators of the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister's office responded shortly after that the individuals arrested were not officially employed by the office. "Contrary to reports, no member of the office is under investigation or has been arrested," it stated in an announcement cited by the Jerusalem Post and the Times of Israel. However, the latter publication emphasized that Netanyahu has assistants who work for him but are not officially employed by his office, citing analysts.
Two potential leaks in Israel
The Times of Israel also pointed out that while the specifics of the case remain unclear, Kan radio and Haaretz revealed on Thursday at least two potential leaks involved.
The first incident concerns recent leaks of documents allegedly related to Hamas, reported by the German Bild and the British Jewish Chronicle, which leaked information that supported arguments made by Netanyahu regarding the ongoing war.
In September, the Israeli military launched an investigation into this leak. The Jewish Chronicle subsequently retracted several articles and ended its collaboration with the author after doubts were raised about the information's accuracy. These documents reportedly claimed that Hamas seeks to divide Israeli public opinion with no intention of reaching a quick agreement, echoing points made by the Israeli Prime Minister in his speeches at the time.
The second leak involves a spokesperson for security affairs, who is employed in the Prime Minister's office despite lacking Shin Bet security clearance. Netanyahu is said to have recently attempted to hire this spokesperson as a paid external advisor, who regularly participated in meetings with Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman and visited the Prime Minister's office at the Kirya military headquarters, according to Kan.
The Times of Israel adds that the investigation also focuses on a third suspicious element: a recent meeting between Braverman, another official from the Israeli Prime Minister's office, Jonatan Urich, and Netanyahu's personal attorney, Amit Hadad, who represents the Prime Minister in his corruption trials.
The newspaper further reports that Netanyahu has called for an immediate lifting of the media ban on reporting related to this case, claiming he wants to end the "alleged secrecy" surrounding it.
According to Channel 12, cited by RT Arabic, former Israeli war council member Benny Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid suggested in their statements that Netanyahu is responsible for everything happening within his team and office. The Israeli channel also indicated, citing its sources, that Netanyahu plans to make some of his advisors scapegoats in this matter.
Coincidentally, this investigation reached a critical juncture just as Netanyahu rejected a proposal for a cease-fire on the front opposing the Israeli army and Hezbollah, a proposal put forward by the United States through their envoy Amos Hochstein.