Israeli army spokesperson warns proposed law could allow junior officers to leak sensitive military documents

​​​​​​​ By Zein Khalil

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli military spokesperson Daniel Hagari called a proposed law Wednesday that was passed by the Knesset a serious threat to national security.

The bill, which passed a preliminary reading in the Knesset by a 59 - 52 vote, would grant soldiers and security personnel the authority to share classified information directly with the prime minister or defense minister without prior authorization.

Hagari, in comments reported by the Haaretz newspaper, warned that the law could enable junior officers to leak sensitive military documents, endangering the lives of soldiers. “The Israeli army does not withhold information from the political echelon; but work together for Israel’s security,” he said.

The controversy follows a high-profile case involving leaked military intelligence.

Hagari said sensitive documents had been stolen from the Prime Minister's Office and passed to a German newspaper, bypassing military censorship.

He added that the breach allowed adversaries to access classified material that harmed state security.

The “Feldstein Law,” introduced by Likud Party Knesset members Hanoch Milwidsky and Amit Halevi of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party, has drawn sharp criticism.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed the legislation, expressing concern that “it constitutes a politically motivated attempt to interfere in an ongoing criminal case linked to individuals close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

Baharav-Miara argued that it could politicize intelligence work and fundamentally alter its principles, according to Haaretz.

The bill follows the “classified documents case,” which emerged months ago, implicating Netanyahu's security spokesperson Eli Feldstein, and an advisor, Jonatan Urich, in an alleged leak of military intelligence documents.

The pair allegedly obtained the materials from a soldier and an officer before passing them to media outlets.

Reports indicate that Feldstein attempted to leak the documents to a journalist at Channel 12, but military censorship prevented their publication.

Urich allegedly redirected the materials to Shrolik Einhorn, a senior associate on Netanyahu's recent election campaigns, who leaked them to a German newspaper.

The documents were reportedly intended to portray former Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, before his death, as opposing a prisoner exchange and cease-fire agreement in the Gaza Strip.

The leaks were seen as an effort to shift public perception and deflect blame from Netanyahu for failing to reach a deal.

The bill seeks to shield Feldstein, Einhorn and others implicated in the case from charges of “possession of classified information” and “obstruction of justice,” which could carry life imprisonment, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper.

The law exempts classified information shared with the prime minister or defense minister from military judiciary regulations requiring prior approval.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio