Shin Bet and Mossad Complain to Censor Over News 12 Report

Israel's internal security agency, the Shin Bet, has filed a complaint with the Chief Military Censor against Channel 12 News, alleging a severe censorship violation. The complaint centers on the timing of Channel 12's report on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the United Arab Emirates on Monday. The news outlet published the story at 9:38 PM, while the prime minister's plane was still nearly 50 minutes away from landing in Israel at 10:27 PM.

The Shin Bet stated that publishing the visit while it was ongoing "posed a risk to the security of the prime minister, the operation, and the forces on the ground." Furthermore, the agency claims the report revealed operational methods, thereby increasing the risk for future operations. The security service emphasized that the danger extended beyond the prime minister, also endangering his wife, members of his entourage including the head of the Mossad, the National Security Advisor, the Military Secretary, and air and security crews.

The Mossad also provided a harsh assessment, calling the leak a "severe security threat to the security of the prime minister and the delegation." The intelligence agency requested that the publication be flagged as a serious incident causing "damage to the security of the State of Israel." The complaint does not automatically mean Channel 12 committed a censorship offense; the military censor will now investigate what was approved for publication, at what stage, and the security implications of revealing the visit before the plane landed.