Police wrap up probe into diplomatic passports case involving Eli Cohen

Israel Police’s Lahav 433 fraud unit has finished its investigation into former foreign minister and current lawmaker Eli Cohen in the diplomatic passport affair. Investigators found an evidentiary basis for breach of trust, and the case has now been sent to the Taxation and Economics Division of the State Prosecutor’s Office for a decision on possible indictments.

The probe was opened in January 2024 with the attorney general’s approval and focused on allegations that diplomatic passports were issued to various people without proper authority and for personal or political reasons. Police say the investigation included testimony from dozens of people and the seizure of many documents from the Foreign Ministry.

Among the names examined were Yair Netanyahu and several local authority leaders, including the heads of the Benjamin, Merhavim and Sdot Negev regional councils, as well as the mayor of Dimona. Besides Cohen, the main suspects are former Foreign Ministry director general Ronen Levy and the minister’s then-personal assistant.

According to the police, although the foreign minister has some discretion in granting diplomatic passports, in these cases that discretion was abused. Investigators concluded there was no genuine professional basis for the decisions and that the conduct amounted to breach of trust. Lahav 433 chief Meni Binyamin passed the findings to police investigations chief Boaz Bialt, who approved the material for prosecutorial review.