Shin Bet Files Complaint Over Netanyahu's UAE Visit Leak

Israel's General Security Service, the Shin Bet, filed a complaint with the military censor against Channel 12 on Monday evening. The complaint concerns the network's disclosure of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unannounced visit to the United Arab Emirates, arguing that the timing of the publication endangered Netanyahu, his entourage, and the security operation.

The Prime Minister's office stated that the Shin Bet requested "legal action" against the channel for what it called a "serious violation of military censorship instructions." The Shin Bet asserted that publishing the visit at that specific time jeopardized the security of the Prime Minister, the operation, and forces in the field. Furthermore, the Shin Bet indicated that the publication, along with the method of execution, revealed operational methods, thereby increasing the risk to future operations.

According to Netanyahu's office, the leak "endangered the lives of the Prime Minister, his wife, and the accompanying delegation." The delegation included the head of the Mossad, the National Security Advisor, Netanyahu's military secretary, the head of the Shin Bet's protection division, and the flight and security crew. The complaint specifically focused on the news being published at 9:38 PM, while the plane was still far from Israel, landing around 10:27 PM.

The Prime Minister's office also conveyed an assessment from the Mossad, which stated that "this leak constituted a serious security threat to the security of the Prime Minister and the delegation." The Mossad urged a "warning flag" to be raised and for the publication to be treated as a "serious incident that harmed the security of the State of Israel."

Channel 12 had initially reported on Sunday that Netanyahu made an unannounced visit to the UAE and met with its president, Mohammed bin Zayed. The report noted that Netanyahu departed Israel by private plane in the morning and spent the day in the UAE, with his office not having announced the visit beforehand. This was Netanyahu's second visit to the UAE in the past year; his previous trip was announced by his office as occurring during a joint Israeli-US operation against Iran.