Netanyahu responds to 'witch hunt' media attacks
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Benjamin Netanyahu said that critical leaks, some of which originated from high-level government discussions, have compromised the occupation's security by providing sensitive information to Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements, as well as Iran.
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Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony in Tel Aviv in occupied Palestine on June 18, 2024. (AP)
The Israeli occupation's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called the recent Israeli media attacks against his office as a "wild and uncontrolled attack," accusing the media and internal sources of orchestrating a "witch hunt" aimed at undermining his leadership during the ongoing war on Gaza.
Netanyahu has called for an urgent investigation into a series of security leaks involving "state secrets" since the start of the war on Gaza, which have sparked a growing scandal, implicating officials within the premier's office, including his security spokesperson.
In a statement made public over the weekend, Netanyahu claimed there was misinformation flooding the media since the start of the war. The leaks, according to Netanyahu, have been "criminal and serious" and have often been accompanied by "lies and baseless slanders," which he believes are not only harming his office but also endangering national security.
"While the government and the cabinet I lead are working tirelessly to repel our enemies, I am managing the war and deflecting international attacks, yet we now face another front — the fake news from the media," Netanyahu said.
He went on to reveal that critical leaks, some of which originated from high-level government discussions, have compromised the occupation's security by providing sensitive information to the Lebanese and Palestinian resistance movements, as well as Iran.
He also alleged that such leaks hindered the efforts for a captive agreement and endangered the life of Israeli occupation forces.
Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran...
Netanyahu specifically pointed out that Hamas is "receiving information from Israel's negotiation team discussions!" he emphasized
He admitted that "Hezbollah and Iran are sometimes receiving, even live, transcripts of our discussions on strategies against them and the debates within our own ranks."
Despite his repeated calls for investigations into these leaks, Netanyahu lamented the lack of action, claiming that no inquiries have been opened into the matter. He accused those behind the leaks of pursuing an agenda of weakness and political concessions, rather than prioritizing national security.
In his statement, he also addressed the growing media frenzy surrounding his administration, which he described as a deliberate attempt to create scandals and undermine his leadership. He criticized the media for amplifying the stories, inflating them into larger controversies, and creating confusion during a time of war.
"Suddenly, in recent days, in a timed and orchestrated manner, they are trying to intimidate me and my people, in the midst of a war I am leading — and they are creating scandals from nothing," he admitted.
Netanyahu vowed that this current state of events would not deter him.
Netanyahu either incompetent or complicit in leak: Lapid
Last week, Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid stated that Netanyahu's actions throughout the recent leak indicate he is either too incompetent to lead during wartime or is "complicit in one of the most serious security offenses."
Lapid declared in a press conference with Benny Gantz immediately after the Rishon Letzion Magistrates Court removed a gag order on naming Eliezer Feldstein, the main suspect in an alleged leak, that “Netanyahu’s defense is that he has no influence or control over the system he heads. If that’s true, he’s ineligible. He is not qualified to lead the State of Israel in the most difficult war in its history."
"This case came out of the prime minister’s office, and the investigation should check if it was not on the prime minister’s orders. If Netanyahu knew, he is complicit in one of the most serious security offenses in the law book,” Lapid stated.
According to the opposition leader, if Netanyahu had no clue his aides were "stealing documents, operating spies within the IDF, forging documents, exposing intelligence sources and passing secret documents to foreign newspapers" to stop a captive agreement, then what was he aware of?
Israeli media have indicated that investigators are examining four distinct aspects of the case: the leak of classified documents, granting an advisor without security clearance access to restricted meetings and offices, mishandling of classified materials, and utilizing these documents to sway public opinion regarding a captives agreement.
Lapid questioned how Netanyahu had no idea the person he was bringing "as part of his closest entourage" into the cabinet room had not received a security clearance from the Shin Bet.
Netanyahu has already indicated that he was ignorant of the Mount Meron crisis or anything related to submarine matters, Lapid continued, referring to two past scandals. "Now he claims that he does not know what his office is doing while Israel is in the midst of an existential war."
