Israel's Shin Bet security agency confirmed Friday evening that it will investigate the leak of classified operational details from the Iran operation, and stated that Director David Zini made the decision to open the probe long before his meeting with commentator Yaakov Bardugo, according to N12.
The Shin Bet has now formally confirmed that it will investigate the leak of classified operational details from the Iran operation, and stated that Director David Zini ordered the probe 'long before' his meeting with commentator Yaakov Bardugo — a clarification that comes just after the agency's series of statements Friday evening.
At 18:59 Jerusalem, the Shin Bet issued its first official response on the affair, denying any link between the probe and the Bardugo meeting. Moments later, the agency acknowledged that Zini had requested an investigation but insisted the decision pre-dated the meeting. By 18:59, the Shin Bet explicitly rejected any connection, and a separate report noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu had ordered the probe. At 18:59, the agency confirmed that it had conducted an investigation into the leak. Within minutes, The Zioneer reported at 19:14 that the Shin Bet had confirmed the investigation, and at 19:16 that Zini told associates he had ordered the probe before the meeting. The current statement consolidates those elements with an explicit timeline.
The affair has been a political flashpoint for weeks, with commentator Yaakov Bardugo alleging that the Shin Bet's investigations division and legal adviser were blocking the probe despite Zini's order, as The Zioneer reported on June 29. The Yashar party demanded Zini explain the Bardugo meeting on July 10 at 16:31. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has been drawn into the dispute, with some claiming she backed the legal adviser's stance.
It remains unclear whether the investigation will examine the role of journalists who published the leaked information, or whether it will be limited to the source of the leak itself. The Shin Bet's statement did not address that question.
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