Netanyahu Aide Sues Israel Hayom, Journalist for NIS 260,000 Over Classified Leak Claim

Yonatan Urich, a senior advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has filed a NIS 260,000 defamation lawsuit against journalist Bini Ashkenazi and the newspaper Israel Hayom. The suit stems from an August 9th report alleging Urich transferred classified information to Qatar, intended to harm Egypt. Urich vehemently denies the claims, calling the report "false, serious, and completely baseless," and stating it falsely portrayed him as leaking Israeli security discussions.

The Israel Hayom article, prominently featured on the front page, cited an unnamed "security source" claiming Urich leaked classified information to Qatar to "smear" Egypt. The lawsuit asserts that Urich has never been investigated for such an offense, nor has the allegation ever been raised against him in any investigation. Urich clarifies that his lawsuit specifically addresses this particular publication and its claims, not other matters he may be involved in.

Furthermore, the lawsuit argues that the corroboration cited by Israel Hayom does not validate the central claim, and the report lacks any proof that Urich transferred classified information to Qatar. The publication itself drew sharp criticism from other journalists upon its release. For instance, Nateel Bendel of Ynet questioned the existence of the alleged "security source" and noted that evidence of such a leak would imply far more serious security offenses than merely contacting a foreign agent.

Avischai Greenzweig of i24NEWS also attacked the report, deeming it based on an "anonymous security source" without supporting evidence. He stated that neither the Shin Bet, Mossad, nor the Attorney General's office suspected such a leak, calling the report "nonsense." Greenzweig further criticized the timeline presented in the article, pointing out that the alleged leak concerned future Egyptian military build-ups in Sinai while a Qatari influence operation had already concluded and a key figure was in custody.

Ashkenazi responded to the lawsuit, noting its premature leak to the press. He stated, "I have only one thing to say: I will continue to criticize Urich and his lawyer Amit Haddad fairly and critically, just as I did before the lawsuit." He added, "Everything else will be clarified in court."