Israel: Israel's attorney general has filed an indictment against Yonatan Urich, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on charges of leaking classified information with the intent to harm state security. The move has sparked significant backlash from government ministers.
According to Anadolu Agency, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Attorney Amit Aisman filed the indictment, accusing Urich of transferring classified intelligence information to the German newspaper Bild. This action was taken despite Israel's military censor barring its publication. The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the charges against Urich are considered a 'serious espionage offense,' with a potential maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
The German newspaper published the document in September 2024, purporting it to be a secret Hamas document. However, it was later discovered to be false. Haaretz noted that the document was misleadingly presented to imply that Hamas was unwilling to agree to end the Gaza war and secure the release of Israeli hostages, which was seen as an attempt to deflect criticism directed at Netanyahu over failed ceasefire negotiations.
The report further indicated that Urich is accused of collaborating with former Netanyahu spokesperson Eli Feldstein to extract classified information from Israeli military databases. In July, Baharav-Miara stated that the leaked material was 'classified at the highest level of secrecy' and obtained through sensitive intelligence, emphasizing that the actions endangered 'state security and human life.'
She also noted that the purpose behind leaking the classified information was to influence public opinion in favor of Netanyahu and shape discussions around the killing of six Israeli hostages in August 2024. Prior indictments were filed in November 2024 against Feldstein and Israeli reserve soldier Ari Rosenfeld, who is accused of passing the classified material to Feldstein.
According to Haaretz, Feldstein claimed during questioning that he leaked the information to foreign media to sway Israeli public opinion against protests demanding a hostage-release deal, arguing that such protests harmed negotiations and strengthened Hamas.
In response to the indictment, Israeli ministers quickly defended Urich and criticized Baharav-Miara. Justice Minister Yariv Levin asserted that 'selective enforcement of the law is a crime.' Transportation Minister Miri Regev labeled the accusations against Urich as 'baseless' and accused authorities of targeting Netanyahu and his associates. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana accused Baharav-Miara of using the judicial system 'as a weapon against one side of the political map.' National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also dismissed the allegations, expressing disbelief in the attorney general's statements.