Eli Feldstein, once employed in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, is the principal suspect in the confidential document leak case, who was arrested and brought before the Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court. On Sunday evening, a judge partially lifted the gag order on the case, permitting the disclosure of Feldstein’s identity and related specifics, including his employment and status. Earlier, his detention was extended by two days. Since the revelation of Feldstein's identity Sunday evening, the Prime Minister's Office has remained silent on the issue and has not released a response.
The order was mitigated following a petition filed by Attorney Tal Leiblich on behalf of Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth. The presiding judge also permitted the publication of the following: "The investigation was initiated after significant suspicions arose within Shin Bet and IDF, also in light of media reports that classified and sensitive intelligence information was taken from IDF systems and unlawfully disseminated, raising concerns about serious harm to national security and jeopardizing information sources. Consequently, there was a potential risk of damage to the security services' capacity to achieve the objective of releasing the hostages as part of war aims." The implication is that the return of the hostages might be compromised due to the leaks' impact on sources.
Additionally, it was permitted for publication: "Following this, a joint covert investigation was launched by the Shin Bet, IDF and Israel Police, during which the aforementioned suspicions were significantly corroborated. Subsequently, an overt investigation was opened, during which four suspects involved in the activity were interrogated, some from the security establishment and a civilian named Mr. Eliezer Feldstein. The investigation is ongoing, and is being conducted in accordance with legal procedures and under court supervision. Any further publication regarding the investigation could jeopardize the investigation, its objectives and state security."
Rishon Lezion Magistrate’s Court Judge Menahem Mizrahi said in his decision that "I have reviewed the investigation materials and its conduct and am satisfied that it constitutes a focused and highly professional investigation that must be allowed to proceed to completion. If I were to order the complete revocation of the order, there is a real risk of substantial harm to the investigation and the quest for truth. The court will reconsider the situation repeatedly as the process continues." Furthermore, Mizrachi indicated that "reviewing the classified material presented to me and other evidence suggests a reasonable suspicion and even substantial prima facie evidence supporting the allegations against the suspects."
Tzvia, Feldstein's sister, wrote Sunday evening that her brother is "in Shin Bet solitary confinement already for a week without meeting a lawyer," and claimed he is "a victim of an embarrassing and disgraceful political spin." She asserted that "he will soon emerge, stronger and braver. Understanding that he is on the good side of the map."
She added: "My brother Eli is a talented, sharp and witty guy. A sensitive soul. A pure heart that spreads only good around him. Always willing to help, full of generosity and love. For years, he sacrificed for the country in military service, yes, yes, a guy from an ultra-Orthodox home. An officer of the highest caliber. He reached the highest places through hard work. He is also a sought-after and pursued bachelor."
Feldstein's associates previously remarked that it is "painful to see how they threw him to the wolves after he was as loyal as a soldier to Netanyahu." An associate said that he was "prepared to do anything for Netanyahu. There is a reason he was brought into the most important office in the country. They understood that if necessary, he would move heaven and earth for a kind word from Bibi. The fact that they discarded him the moment the affair was exposed and disowned him will backfire on them. There isn’t a person in politics who doesn’t know he has worked for Netanyahu since October 7."
Moreover, his relatives contended that "they brought him in precisely for these tasks, related to the army. So suddenly to say that Bibi doesn't know who he is? He sat in your office, you called him on the phone. It's absurd."
Earlier, a session was held in the court regarding the request by Ynet and Yedioth Ahronoth and other media outlets to lift the gag order on the secret documents affair involving the spokesperson in Netanyahu's office. The session then transitioned to behind closed doors, preceding the judge's decision on the matter.
Feldstein, who worked with the Prime Minister's Office, is detained as part of the document leak case that is shaking the premier's office. He is suspected of passing classified documents to the German newspaper "Bild" and to Israeli reporters. The ongoing investigation is tasked with examining whether the material leaked by the suspects poses a real security threat or even a risk of exposing security sources and methods. Another aspect under scrutiny is who authorized the classified document leak, whether the suspects acted independently or received directives from higher authorities.
The Prime Minister's Office issued a new response Saturday night, asserting that "the document that was published never reached the Prime Minister's Office from the Military Intelligence Directorate, and the Prime Minister learned about it from the media. The person in question never participated in security discussions, was not exposed to or received classified information, and did not take part in secret visits. Overall, it is ridiculous to say that publishing a favorable article about Israel in a German newspaper - in which a document like those previously published with approval and authority - caused any damage to the hostage release negotiations or to Israel's security. On the contrary, it assisted the effort and certainly did not harm it."
The Prime Minister's Office claimed selective enforcement, stating: "Since the beginning of the war until today, we have witnessed a flood of deliberate and criminal leaks from secret cabinet meetings, closed security discussions, confidential discussions related to the release of hostages; the leak of the doctored video against our soldiers in the Yemen field, and the leak by Knesset member Gilad Kariv from the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee. It is very puzzling why, out of all these leaks, this particular document - whose content was known to all and assisted the State of Israel - received such an aggressive and targeted investigation."
Before the discussion on lifting the gag order, a session was held regarding the extension of the suspects' detention in the case. According to one suspect's lawyer, his client was released, while the court extended Feldstein's detention by two days. Despite Netanyahu's declarations that he would join the petition to request the removal of the gag order, he did not submit any such request. Concurrently with the case discussion, Netanyahu's spokespersons - Yonatan Urich and Ofer Golan - were seen leaving the office of attorney Amit Hadad, who represents the prime minister in his ongoing corruption trial. The suspects themselves did not attend the session but participated via live video from detention.
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