During a hearing on restrictive conditions for Prime Minister Netanyahu's adviser Yonatan Urich, state prosecutor Adi Arad told the court Urich allegedly sought "to advance Netanyahu's media interests during the war while hostages are held in Gaza and to tilt public discourse." Arad argued that the leaked information could have severely endangered security forces and the hostages, asserting that "his behavior is a harm to state security, especially given his role and status."
In today's court hearing regarding the restrictive conditions requested for Yonatan Urich, a senior adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, state prosecutor Adi Arad laid out the prosecution's case against him. Arad stated that Urich allegedly sought "to advance Netanyahu's media interests during the war while hostages are held in the Gaza Strip and to tilt public discourse." She argued that the information he leaked could have caused severe harm to Israeli security forces and the hostages themselves.
The hearing comes as the case against Urich continues to develop. As The Zioneer has previously reported, prosecutors filed an indictment against Urich on charges of passing secret information with intent to harm state security and destroying evidence — specifically, leaking classified materials to the German newspaper Bild to undermine hostage deal efforts. In earlier hearings, Judge Massarwa rebuked the prosecution for its timing in requesting Urich's remand, and Urich's attorney, Amit Hadad, called the prosecution's renewed isolation request "a complete bad-faith political act."
The new statements by Arad in court suggest the prosecution is seeking to link Urich's alleged motives directly to the prime minister's political interests during a sensitive period of war and hostage negotiations. The judge has not yet ruled on the requested restrictions.
2 developments
- DevelopingCourt blocks prosecution bid to hold emergency indictment hearing for Netanyahu aide
- StrongCourt rejects prosecution bid to bar Urich from PMO contact
- DevelopingAG seeks gag order barring Netanyahu from speaking with witnesses — Amit Segal
- StrongBardugo accuses state attorney of undermining democracy by restricting Netanyahu aide's contact
Source and signal
- Internal intake