Netanyahu's Office Accuses TV Channel of Endangering Prime Minister

The Prime Minister's Office announced on Monday evening, September 28, that the Shin Bet security agency has requested the chief military censor to hold Israel's Channel 12 accountable for a "serious violation of censorship rules." According to the Prime Minister's Office, the violation involved Channel 12 reporting on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's secret visit to the UAE before his plane had landed back in Israel. The statement included unusually strong condemnations from both the Shin Bet and the Mossad, agencies headed by Netanyahu appointees. The Prime Minister's Office stated that the broadcast "put their lives under threat." The report about the flight was aired on September 27 at 9:38 PM, while Netanyahu's plane landed in Israel at 10:27 PM. The Shin Bet reportedly stated that the publication "created a security threat to the Prime Minister, the operation, and the forces present," and revealed the agency's operational methods, increasing risks for future operations. The Mossad reportedly called the leak a "serious incident that harms the security of the State of Israel."

Channel 12's news division responded that the report was political and timed before elections, coinciding with a scandal over intelligence warnings before October 7, 2023. They argued that censoring such political news was not the military censor's role. The channel also asserted that the report aired closer to 10:00 PM, after Netanyahu's plane had landed, thus posing no threat to his life. The visit itself, a brief trip to Abu Dhabi on September 27 to meet with UAE President Mohammed bin Zayed, reportedly focused on the Iranian threat. According to an AP report on September 28, Netanyahu asked bin Zayed to deny reports that he had warned Netanyahu of danger before October 7, a denial that has not yet been published by the UAE.