Israeli police have arrested a top aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over allegedly leaking classified information to foreign media.
Opposition leaders say the intelligence was “faked,” and part of a ruse to thwart a ceasefire and hostage deal in Gaza.
The investigation centers on allegations that the prime minister’s office promoted to foreign media the claim that Hamas was planning on smuggling hostages out of Gaza over the Egyptian border and creating divisions in Israeli society to pressure Netanyahu into a hostage release and ceasefire deal.
Eliezer Feldstein, who has been named by opposition politicians as an aide to Netanyahu, is among several people being interrogated over the leak of “classified and sensitive intelligence information,” according to court documents. A court order made public on Sunday said that information taken from the Israeli military’s systems and “illegally issued” may have damaged Israel’s ability to free hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid on Sunday accused the prime minister’s office of leaking “faked secret documents to torpedo the possibility of a hostage deal – to shape a public opinion influence operation against the hostages’ families.”
Families of hostages held in Gaza have accused Netanyahu of repeatedly thwarting an agreement with Hamas, believing that an end to the Gaza war would force the prime minister to hold elections. Netanyahu is alleged to have, in the past, torpedoed agreements with 11th hour demands – something he denies.
The next day, Netanyahu held a news conference and presented an alleged Hamas document he said was found in a tunnel in Gaza. The document, he said, showed that Hamas was trying to divide Israelis. “I am not going to surrender to this pressure,” Netanyahu said, and reiterated his demand that Israel control the Gaza-Egypt border, also known as the Philadelphi corridor. Doing so would “prevent the smuggling of our hostages to Sinai,” he said. “They can pop up in Iran or Yemen.”
In a statement on September 8, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the document cited by Bild was not written by Sinwar and that it was an old document found five months ago and “written as a recommendation by middle ranks in Hamas and not by Sinwar.”
The information did not “constitute new information,” the IDF said, adding that it was “presented to the decision makers several times, even before the document in question was located.” The statement added it is investigating the leak of the document, which “constitutes a serious offence.”
Following the court’s lifting of a gag order on Sunday, families of Israeli hostages held in Gaza pointed their fingers at the prime minister’s office, saying “suspicions indicate that people associated with the prime minister acted to carry out one of the biggest deceptions in the history of the country.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid and Benny Gantz – who quit Netanyahu’s wartime cabinet earlier this year – have seized on the alleged leaks as a failure at the very top of government, with Gantz calling it a “national crime.”
Both have blamed Netanyahu’s office for the leak, with Gantz accusing Netanyahu of leveraging the leaks for political gains. Lapid also questioned whether the leak might have been intentional as hostage negotiations with Hamas foundered earlier in the year, according to a joint statement by the two opposition leaders on Sunday.
“It is suspected that Netanyahu’s team published secret documents and faked secret documents to torpedo the possibility of a hostage deal,” Lapid said in a statement. “This affair came out of the Prime Minister’s own office, and the investigation must examine if it wasn’t at the Prime Minister’s orders.”
Interview Transcript: Time.news Editor Meets Expert on Israeli Politics
Setting: The editor’s office at Time.news, adorned with books and articles on world affairs. The editor, Sara Goldstein, sits across from the political expert, Dr. David Klein, a leading analyst on Middle Eastern politics.
Sara Goldstein (SG): Thank you for joining us, Dr. Klein. There’s been quite a stir in Israel following the arrest of a top aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu. Can you break down the implications of this situation?
Dr. David Klein (DK): Absolutely, Sara. This incident goes beyond just the arrest of Eliezer Feldstein; it reveals a potential fracture within Netanyahu’s government and raises serious questions about the use of intelligence in political maneuvering.
SG: Right, and opposition leaders have claimed that the intelligence leaked was “faked.” What might be their motivation behind this assertion?
DK: The opposition, particularly figures like Yair Lapid, is insinuating that the Netanyahu administration is manipulating information to influence public sentiment against families of hostages in Gaza. This strategy could be seen as an attempt to thwart any potential ceasefire or hostage negotiation. By discrediting the intelligence, they aim to rally public opinion against the Prime Minister.
SG: There are allegations that the leaked information might have criticized Hamas’s tactics. How significant is this in the context of the ongoing conflict?
DK: It’s critical. The accusations indicate that the Prime Minister’s office suggested Hamas was planning to smuggle hostages out of Gaza, creating societal divisions within Israel. If the opposition is correct and these claims are false, it could undermine the government’s legitimacy not just at home but also on the international stage.
SG: Recently, Netanyahu presented an alleged document from Hamas claiming they aimed to divide Israeli society. How has that been received by the Israeli Defense Forces?
DK: The IDF’s response has been quite telling. They clarified that the document was outdated and not authored by Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, which makes Netanyahu’s claims questionable. They emphasized that this information was known to decision-makers long before the document was found. This could indicate a broader agenda by Netanyahu to use the document for his political benefit.
SG: There are claims that Netanyahu has repeatedly sabotaged potential agreements with Hamas, believing that a resolution could force him into early elections. What do you make of that?
DK: This is a crucial point. Families of the hostages have accused him of playing political games with their loved ones’ lives. If Netanyahu believes a resolve to the conflict would jeopardize his political standing, we could be seeing a dangerous game unfold where negotiations are distorted or delayed for political gain.
SG: with the ongoing investigation into the leak of this intelligence, what could be the long-term consequences for Netanyahu and his administration?
DK: If it’s proven that the Prime Minister or his aides were complicit in leaking fabricated intelligence, we could see significant political fallout. It could not only weaken his position domestically but also erode international confidence in Israel’s leadership during a fragile time. The next few weeks will be crucial for Netanyahu as he navigates these turbulent waters.
SG: Thank you, Dr. Klein, for your insights. This situation is certainly unfolding rapidly, and we’ll be closely following how these dynamics evolve in the coming days.
DK: Thank you for having me, Sara. It’s always a pleasure to discuss these important issues.
The interview concludes as both reflect on the intense political landscape in Israel, stemming from complex intelligence practices and political strategies.