The Tel Aviv District Court on Thursday again rejected prosecutors’ request to impose restrictive conditions on Jonathan Urich, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s senior aide, in the so-called Bild affair, and to bar him from Netanyahu. It was the court’s final ruling after issuing a similar interim decision two weeks ago.
Judge Ala Masarwa criticized the Central District Prosecutor’s Office during the hearing, saying, “During the most important security period he was there with the prime minister. So now to come and say we need to apply the conditions to him? There is a problem with that.” He said there was also concern that prosecutors had not sought Urich’s removal from the Prime Minister’s Office for about two years, even though they had the information and he was questioned at different stages of the period.
Masarwa added that the risk to the investigation had diminished over time. “As time passes, the danger decreases, especially when almost two years have passed since the events,” he said, recalling that the strongest concern about obstruction was when investigators came to Urich’s home and there was a question of whether to take his phone. He noted that police later released him, at his request, to meet the prime minister, and said, “Now after a year and a half the obstruction is back? I find that hard.”
The prosecution said it had sent several requests to Netanyahu to take his testimony in the case, but did not get cooperation and viewed that as a refusal to assist the probe. Urich’s lawyer, Amit Hadad, who also represents Netanyahu, said the defense had originally demanded that the prime minister be questioned, while prosecutors delayed for a long time.
With the request denied, Urich may continue working with Netanyahu, including on the Likud election campaign. A separate petition to the High Court of Justice seeking to remove Urich from the Prime Minister’s Office is still pending. Prosecutors said the Shin Bet’s position should suffice, allowing Urich into the PM’s office complex but not into the “aquarium,” meaning the prime minister’s office and other designated areas. During the hearing, judges questioned why the High Court should intervene when the Shin Bet had already set those limits.
