Shin Bet, police oppose release of main suspect in security leaks case
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The Israeli police and Shin Bet file an appeal against the release of Eli Feldstein, rejecting the option of placing him on house arrest.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs the weekly cabinet meeting at his office in occupied al-Quds, on December 9, 2018. (AP)
The Israeli police and the Shin Bet security service filed an appeal on Friday against a court decision to release the main suspect in the security document leaks scandal, Eli Feldstein, and place him under house arrest, according to the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation KAN.
KAN reported that Feldstein, who worked with Netanyahu, is expected to be released today and placed under house arrest, almost three weeks after his arrest based on a ruling by the Magistrates Court in Rishon Lezion.
The case sent shockwaves into the Israeli political arena, after one of Netanyahu's assistants was suspected to have leaked classified documents about Gaza, angering the families of Israeli captives.
Netanyahu denies any wrongdoing by his office staff, stating earlier this month that he only learned of the leaked documents through the media.
Yesterday, The New York Times revealed that Netanyahu's aides are being investigated for allegedly altering details about the call in the official records of Netanyahu's activities, according to four officials familiar with the investigation.
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?
