Ex-IDF Aide Suspected of Illegally Taking Classified Protocols

Tzachi Braverman, the former Chief of Staff, is under investigation for allegedly systematically collecting approximately 30 classified protocols in the month following the October 7th Hamas attacks. These documents reportedly contained sensitive information from security discussions concerning Gaza and Hamas, and were allegedly taken without authorization and in violation of procedures. The investigation, being conducted by Lahav 433, suggests Braverman's actions were aimed at influencing the public narrative.

Further details emerging from the investigation indicate that the collected protocols pertained directly to the period preceding the October 7th massacre. Braverman is suspected of removing these documents without approval, contrary to established protocols. The materials are believed to include highly sensitive classified documents from the Security Cabinet, intended for use in shaping public opinion and the "battle for the narrative."

Avi Gil, the Military Secretary to the former Prime Minister, testified that the effort to collect protocols began two to three weeks into the war. He reported that by late October, he was informed of an unusual effort to gather protocols within the Prime Minister's office, which he stated was being done against regulations. Gil expressed concern that altering these records constituted a distortion of the truth.

Gil also recounted an incident where Braverman allegedly requested to alter a stenographic record of a conversation he had with the Prime Minister on October 7th. Braverman reportedly asked to change the time of the record to an earlier point, to create the impression that the Prime Minister received a full operational report immediately at the start of the Hamas attack. Gil informed the Attorney General of this matter at the time, advising her not to act on it immediately due to the ongoing war.

The case has been transferred to the Attorney General, Yuliend Cohen, who will decide whether to file charges against Braverman. Key questions facing the prosecution include why Braverman was focused on these records months after the war began, why he acted against the Attorney General's explicit instructions regarding protocol handling, and why he insisted on altering a written record despite warnings from the stenographer.