The Utility of Leaks

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a public uproar and accusations of jeopardizing national security after a court partially lifted a gag order on a case involving leaked classified information that was used to dampen public support for a ceasefire, the Associated Press reported.

In its Sunday ruling, the court identified the main suspect in the leaks as Eli Feldstein, who Israeli media reports say joined Netanyahu’s team as an adviser after the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks in southern Israel.

Feldstein allegedly leaked sensitive documents to two foreign media outlets, the Jewish Chronicle – which later retracted its article – and Germany’s Bild newspaper.

The Jewish Chronicle piece suggested that Hamas was planning to move hostages through Egypt, while the Bild article claimed that Hamas was manipulating negotiations to pressure Israel.

The case has ignited a political firestorm across Israel with critics arguing that the leaks were intended to bolster Netanyahu’s hardline stance in the negotiations by framing Hamas as deliberately stalling in order to dissuade public support for a ceasefire deal.

Observers added that the timing of the leaks has raised questions: The documents were published as Netanyahu advocated for Israeli control over the Philadelphi Corridor along the Gaza-Egypt border – a point of contention in ceasefire talks.

Public criticism of Netanyahu reached a boiling point in early September after Hamas killed six Israeli hostages, sparking mass protests and calls for a general strike.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s office has denied that Feldstein had access to classified information, and said that the prime minister learned of the leaked documents from media reports.

The scandal has spurred a backlash from political figures and families of the hostages, with former Defense Minister Benny Gantz condemning the incident as a “national crime” and opposition leader Yair Lapid questioning Netanyahu’s oversight.

The Hostage and Missing Families Forum, representing families of the captives, expressed “outrage and deep concern” at the possible undermining of public support for a deal.

Analyst Mairav Zonszein of the International Crisis Group told NBC News that even if Netanyahu was not directly involved, the leaks would likely have come from what she described as a “well-oiled machine” within his administration that frequently leverages sensitive information for political gain.