A Times of Israel report on Tuesday revealed that two current aides and a former associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have been indicted on witness intimidation charges linked to Netanyahu's 2019 corruption trial.

The individuals facing charges are Ofer Golan, spokesperson for the Netanyahu family and former director of Likud's 2019 election campaign; Jonatan Urich, a senior strategic adviser to Likud; and Yisrael Einhorn, who previously worked as a party spokesman.

Prosecutors allege that in 2019, while Netanyahu was under investigation, the three orchestrated a harassment campaign targeting Shlomo (Momo) Filber, a key state witness in the case. According to the indictment, the accused sent a car equipped with a megaphone to Filber's residence in Petah Tikva, broadcasting messages pressuring him to retract his testimony.

Among the recorded statements played outside Filber's home was, "Momo, be a man, go and tell the truth. Momo Filber, [about] what they did to you for you to lie against the prime minister, what they promised you." Another message accused him of being used by political opponents, stating, "The left is using you to topple Likud, Momo, hear what you yourself said before the police pressured you." The loudspeaker also broadcasted a past interview in which Filber described Netanyahu's decisions as "professional."

Legal and Political Repercussions

Israeli law stipulates that witness intimidation carries a three-year prison sentence, with harsher penalties possible under aggravating circumstances. Despite this, Golan and Urich have dismissed the charges as politically motivated, pointing out that:

• Dr. Haim Wismonsky, a senior state attorney, previously closed the case.
• Filber himself told the State Attorney's Office that he was not intimidated and had no interest in pursuing the matter.
• The Supreme Court ruled that police and prosecutors acted unlawfully in parts of Netanyahu's corruption case, questioning the legitimacy of certain evidence.

Reacting to the indictment, Golan and Urich issued a defiant statement: "After years of drawn-out legal proceedings, after the senior state attorney lawyer on the case Dr. Haim Wismonsky decided to close the case, after Filber himself told the State Attorney's Office he was not intimidated and wasn't interested in the process, and after the Supreme Court ruled that the police, together with the State Attorney's Office, carried out illegal action and that the evidence was illegitimate — [State Attorney] Amit Aisman has the audacity to file a tattered indictment of two paragraphs."

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Concluding their response, they vowed to fight the charges in court, declaring, "If they want a war, they'll get a war. We'll meet in court."

In a related development, Filber recently announced plans to file a lawsuit against Israeli police and the Israel Prison Service, alleging he was subjected to sexual assault by prison officers while in detention. His claim stems from his arrest in connection to alleged corruption at the Communications Ministry, a case that led to Netanyahu's indictment.

Further Scrutiny Over Leaked Gaza Documents

While Netanyahu battles legal troubles related to witness intimidation, he is also facing accusations of involvement in a separate scandal—the leak of classified Gaza-related security documents.

On December 4, 2024, reports surfaced that Netanyahu was aware of and possibly facilitated the leak of classified military strategy documents to the German newspaper Bild and the UK's Jewish Chronicle. The documents, which were later exposed as fabricated Hamas military plans, claimed that Hamas intended to smuggle Israeli captives to Egypt, then to Iran or Yemen. These allegations reinforced Netanyahu's hardline stance on ceasefire negotiations but have now become the subject of a legal dispute.

The prime suspect in the leak is Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu's former spokesperson for security affairs, who was charged in November 2024 for transferring classified information, illegally possessing sensitive documents, and obstructing justice.

Feldstein's lawyer, Oded Savoray, has accused Netanyahu of scapegoating his client and deflecting blame: "There was a stage in the investigation where [Feldstein] decided to stop taking the fall for the Prime Minister and his office."

Feldstein maintains that he personally informed Netanyahu about the documents two days before they were leaked to Bild. Netanyahu, however, denies this, claiming he only learned about the leak from media reports.

The charges against Feldstein include allegations that the fabricated documents were deliberately leaked to manipulate public opinion and reduce pressure on Netanyahu to make concessions for Israeli captives held in Gaza.

Expanding Investigations

In a further blow to Netanyahu's inner circle, his wife, Sara Netanyahu, is now under criminal investigation for alleged witness intimidation. She is accused of directing a former aide to organize protests and launch online smear campaigns against Hadas Klein, a key witness in corruption cases against her husband.

Additionally, new revelations indicate that Eli Feldstein had undisclosed ties to Qatar while serving in the Prime Minister's Office. Reports suggest that Feldstein did public relations work for a Qatar-funded company that sought to improve the regime's image regarding its mediation efforts between "Israel" and Hamas. This raises questions about a potential conflict of interest, as Netanyahu has publicly attacked Qatar for its ties to Hamas while members of his office were privately benefiting from its funding.

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