Channel 12 Commentator Denies Being Sole Source of Leaked Chats
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal addressed the leak of his private messages with Prime Minister Netanyahu's advisor Jonathan Urikh, stating that such exchanges are common in journalism and would be found with figures from other parties. Hackers released Urikh's alleged correspondences on Sunday, threatening more leaks. Segal condemned the hacking and said he would pursue those responsible, while also noting that similar communications exist with politicians across the spectrum.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal stated his leaked chats with PM's advisor Jonathan Urikh are not unique.
- Segal claimed similar correspondences exist with figures from all political parties.
- Hackers released Urikh's alleged personal messages on Sunday, threatening further leaks.
- Segal condemned the phone hacking as a criminal act and vowed to pursue perpetrators.
- The leaks come after reports of Urikh developing an AI system for the Prime Minister's office.
Channel 12 commentator Amit Segal responded Sunday to the publication of his personal correspondences with Jonathan Urikh, a close advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Segal stated that similar exchanges would be found in his conversations with figures from other political parties, asserting that journalists gather information through a delicate tango between interviewer and interviewed, which can include exchanges of information and opinions.
Segal condemned the hacking and leaking of phone data, calling it a terrible and criminal act. He vowed to pursue anyone responsible if his own phone were breached. He added that if his communications with senior figures in other parties were published, they would be very similar.
Earlier, personal correspondences attributed to Urikh were distributed on Telegram and WhatsApp groups by hackers, who threatened further publications. Last month, Haaretz reported that Urikh developed an AI-based system for the Prime Minister and his wife, Sara, to monitor and analyze media coverage. The report indicated that the software's code, including sensitive access details, remained accessible online during development. It was also revealed that Urikh had connected his personal WhatsApp account to a service based in Dubai, which granted the external service access to his chat content without end-to-end encryption.
Segal expressed hope that no other campaign manager or party leader's phone would be hacked. However, he guaranteed that if such breaches occurred, communications similar to or more extreme than those leaked would be found from sources ranging from Arab and Haredi parties to figures like Izankot and Ben-Gvir.
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