Lapid Reacts to Indictment Against Netanyahu Aide Yonatan Urich

Opposition leader Yair Lapid responded on Monday to the filing of a revised indictment against Prime Minister’s adviser Yonatan Urich, in which the prosecution is seeking to bar him from the Prime Minister’s Office. In his remarks, Lapid addressed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu with a suggestion on how to act now. “Netanyahu needs to say today: I made a grave mistake when I embraced Urich and turned a blind eye even after he admitted receiving money from a state that supports terrorism. Anyone who endangers the security of the state is finished with me and will never step into my office again,” Lapid said.

As noted, the State Attorney’s Office filed today with the Tel Aviv District Court a notice amending the security-related indictment, along with a request for a series of restrictions on Prime Minister’s adviser Yonatan Urich. The request is in effect an amendment to the original indictment filed against Eli Feldstein and reserve soldier Arye Rosenfeld, on suspicion of stealing secret and sensitive information from IDF Intelligence systems and publishing it in the German newspaper Bild.

The amended indictment includes Urich as an additional defendant. Urich serves as the Prime Minister’s personal communications adviser. He is accused of disclosing a secret item with intent to harm state security, disclosing a secret item, possessing a secret item, and destroying evidence.

The filing of the indictment was approved by the attorney general and the state attorney. At the same time, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was added as a prosecution witness in the case.

As a result, the prosecution is seeking to impose restrictive conditions on Urich until the end of proceedings, including a complete ban on entering the Prime Minister’s Office and a ban on entering any security facility or any place where secret information may be kept, as well as a prohibition on making direct or indirect contact with any of those involved in the case, including witnesses and suspects.