Legal Analysts Criticize Israel Hayom Report on Netanyahu Advisors Leaking Classified Info to Qatar

Legal commentators Avishai Greenstein and Netael Bendel sharply criticized a recent Israel Hayom report alleging that three advisors to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu leaked classified security information about Egypt to Qatar. Greenstein condemned the report's reliance on an unnamed security source, questioning how such a source could verify the accuracy of the claims. He noted that investigations by the Shin Bet, the State Attorney's Office, and the police found no suspicion of classified information leaks to Qatar, calling the publication "nonsense." Greenstein also expressed surprise at the extensive coverage the newspaper gave the story, including a full front page and multiple inside pages.

Greenstein further pointed out inconsistencies in the timeline presented by Binyamin Ashkenazi, who cited reports from late 2024 about Egyptian military buildup in Sinai, despite one of the accused, Eli Feldstein, already being in custody at that time due to the "Bild" affair. Bendel, a legal reporter for Israel Hayom, joined the critique, stating he did not know the identity of the security source but argued that the charges did not align with the claim that classified information was passed to Qatar. He emphasized that if there had been evidence of such leaks, the advisors would face far more serious security charges than just contact with a foreign agent.

The original Israel Hayom article was based on a security source alleging that Jonathan Orich, Shrolik Einhorn, and Eli Feldstein transferred classified information from secret security discussions about Egypt to Qatar. The purported goal was to enable Qatar to promote negative media about Egypt in Israel, thereby increasing its influence in hostage negotiations at Egypt's expense.