Netanyahu Aide Indicted for Security Breach in Classified Documents Leak Scandal
Eli Feldstein, a close aide to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was indicted Thursday on charges of harming state security in a scandal involving leaked classified documents. The indictment accuses Feldstein of transferring classified information with intent to harm the state, illicit possession of classified materials, and obstruction of justice. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence.
A second suspect, an IDF reservist noncommissioned (NCO), was also indicted on charges of transferring classified information, theft by an authorized person, and obstruction of justice, facing up to seven years in prison. The State Attorney’s Office has requested that both suspects remain in custody throughout the trial, citing the gravity of the charges. Feldstein, arrested on October 27, remains in detention and was recently placed on suicide watch after prison guards discovered materials in his cell that could be used for self-harm.
Following the announcement, protests erupted outside the Tel Aviv District Court, where supporters, including ministers and lawmakers, criticized the investigation as politically motivated. Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli called the case “the complete politicization of the legal system.”
The case revolves around the leak of a classified document to the German newspaper Bild in September. The document, which allegedly detailed Hamas’s priorities in hostage negotiations, was removed from an IDF intelligence database by an unidentified NCO who then passed it to Feldstein. Feldstein reportedly facilitated its transfer to Bild, aiming to shift public criticism away from Netanyahu following the murder of six high-profile hostages by Hamas in August.
The leaked document, later revealed to be authored by lower-level Hamas officials, reportedly caused damage to Israel’s security and hindered efforts to secure the release of hostages held in Gaza. Investigators believe Feldstein leaked the document to Bild to influence public discourse, deflect blame onto Hamas for failed negotiations, and diminish protests against Netanyahu’s handling of the hostage situation. Netanyahu himself is not a suspect in the case.
The indictment has drawn intense scrutiny as it implicates high-profile figures in Netanyahu’s inner circle. A second Netanyahu spokesperson, Yonatan Urich, has also been questioned in the case, while Srulik Einhorn, a former campaign adviser suspected of involvement, has yet to return to Israel to face interrogation.
