According to a report, Prime Minister Netanyahu instructed the Shin Bet chief to open an investigation into leak allegations, a reversal from the agency's earlier fierce opposition to such a probe. The directive is described as the cause of the Shin Bet's 180-degree turn.
A new report this evening (Friday) claims that Prime Minister Netanyahu directly instructed Shin Bet chief David Zini to open an investigation into the leak of classified details to Channel 12, a move that would mark a reversal of the agency's earlier stance. The report, which does not specify whether the instruction was given orally or in writing, emerged after the Shin Bet had issued multiple statements on Friday evening denying any link between the decision and Zini's meeting with commentator Yaakov Bardugo.
The Zioneer reported on July 9 that Zini had requested to open the investigation following a demand by ministers. Then, at 18:59 Jerusalem on Friday, the Shin Bet issued its first official response, confirming the request but insisting the decision was made 'long before' the meeting with Bardugo, and rejecting any suggestion that it was influenced by external discourse. The agency's statements did not address the possibility of a directive from the prime minister.
As The Zioneer reported on June 29, commentator Yaakov Bardugo alleged that the Shin Bet had still not probed the leak despite a direct order from Netanyahu and Zini's instructions to the investigations division — a claim that, if true, raised questions about the agency's conduct. That earlier report, together with the Shin Bet's emphatic denial of any link to the Bardugo meeting, set the stage for the current disclosure.
The Shin Bet has not commented on the new report. It remains unclear when Netanyahu's alleged instruction was given relative to the agency's earlier statements and whether the prime minister's involvement contradicts the Shin Bet's claim that the decision pre-dated the Bardugo meeting.
7 developments
- DevelopingJournalist Avishai Grinzeig reveals Shin Bet employee relative of Channel 14 journalist attended Bardugo-Zini meeting
- DevelopingBardugo: Shin Bet investigations division and legal adviser block leak probe despite Zini's order
- DevelopingYaakov Bardugo: Shin Bet still hasn't probed Channel 12 leak despite PM's direct order
- DevelopingYaakov Bardugo challenges Shin Bet chief David Zini on incitement and leak inaction
Source and signal
- Internal intake