A close advisor, Jonathan Urich, to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of leaking classified information to a German newspaper, Israel’s attorney general, Gali Baharav-Miara, said on Thursday. For this, he is currently facing criminal charges.
According to The Times of Israel, prosecutors said that the charges stem from Urich’s involvement in the alleged leak of a classified document from Israel Defense Forces intelligence to Bild newspaper in September 2024. The leak was reportedly aimed at strengthening Benjamin Netanyahu’s argument that Hamas was blocking a deal for the release of hostages held in Gaza. Authorities also claim the document was passed to a foreign newspaper in an attempt to avoid Israeli military censorship.
The revelation comes ahead of elections in the country this year. Meanwhile, Netanyahu himself is facing trial in three separate corruption cases and growing tensions within his coalition government are threatening to dissolve parliament.
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The Attorney General’s office said that it has plans to prosecute Urich for leaking a classified document to a German tabloid. Critics said that this is a move to absolve Benjamin Netanyahu of responsibility for the failure of negotiations with Hamas during the Gaza War. The Attorney General’s office said Urich will also be charged with processing confidential information and destroying evidence.
While Netanyahu’s office declines to comment on the proposed indictment, Jonathan Urich’s lawyers told Israel’s Army Radio channel that the decision was wrong and completely unrelated to the evidence. Meanwhile, Jonathan Urich posted a sarcastic one-line on social media stating it was a pity Attorney General did not seek the death penalty.
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The Attorney General’s office did not say when the indictment would be officially filed. However, it is common practice to announce the initiation of indictments in advance.
Earlier, another former aide of Netayahu, Eli Feldstein, was charged with similar charges.
Urich and Felstein were arrested last year in Israel for Qatargate. Under this, they were suspected of accepting money from Qatar to promote its positive image in Israel after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023. They are also accused of accepting Money from a foreign government while working in the Prime Minister’s office.
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Hritika Mitra is a Senior Sub-Editor at India.com. In her four years-long career, she has covered events ranging from the Iran-Israel War, the 2024 US presidential election, and the Russia-Ukraine War … Read More
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