By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Eli Feldstein is accused of unlawfully acquiring sensitive military information and leaking it to influence public opinion.

The lawyer representing Eli Feldstein, spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security office and accused of leaking classified security documents, has stated that Netanyahu was aware of both the documents and the plan to leak them, Israeli media reported on Wednesday.

Feldstein’s lawyer, Oded Savoray, reportedly accused the prime minister of “shirking responsibility for an event he caused” and stated that Feldstein chose not to remain silent, effectively sacrificing himself for Netanyahu.

“There was a stage in the investigation where he decided to stop taking the fall for the Prime Minister and his office,” attorney Savoray told the Kan public broadcaster, referring to Feldstein’s assertion that Netanyahu knew about the document before it was published in German tabloid Bild.

“(Feldstein) did not say that Netanyahu ordered the document to be released to foreign media, but that he knew about the document and the decision to release it to the media,” the lawyer added.

Israel Leaks Scandal – Israeli Army Officer Fifth Suspect to Be Arrested

Leaking Secret Documents

In November, Israeli prosecutors charged Feldstein and an Israeli soldier with leaking secret documents with the intent to harm national interests, a case that has shaken Israeli society.

Feldstein is accused of unlawfully acquiring sensitive military information and leaking it to influence public opinion, aiming to reduce pressure on Netanyahu to make significant concessions in exchange for the release of Israeli prisoners held in Gaza.

The Israeli soldier implicated in the case is accused of providing Feldstein with documents reportedly originating from Gaza. 

These documents allegedly showed that Hamas fighters sought to create discord within Israeli society to secure a favorable prisoner exchange deal.

The lawyer representing Eli Feldstein, aide to Prime Minister Netanyahu, says Feldstein stopped taking the fall for PM over the leak of classified document.

He says Feldstein told the PM about the document before it was leaked to Bild, but didn’t say Netanyahu ordered release. pic.twitter.com/YX7YtXwHtX

— Lazar Berman (@Lazar_Berman) December 4, 2024

Netanyahu has not been charged in connection with the case, but his supporters argue that the prosecution’s actions are part of a politically motivated campaign against him, particularly during a state of emergency in Israel.

According to a copy of the indictment, the defendants allegedly established a mechanism to pass classified information in violation of established protocols for handling such documents.

The indictment further stated that “the defendants acted with the aim of obtaining information classified as top secret while accepting the real risk of causing serious harm to national security interests of paramount importance.”

Rather than leaking the information to Israeli media, Feldstein allegedly provided it to the German magazine Bild to bypass local censorship that could have blocked its publication.

In September, the magazine published an article citing documents purportedly written by a Hamas official. 

These documents reportedly urged Hamas to apply “psychological pressure” on the families of Israeli prisoners to compel Netanyahu to make concessions.

Netanyahu later referred to the Bild article, asserting that it supported his hardline stance on negotiating a prisoner swap deal.

(PC, AJA)