Channel 14 commentator Yaakov Bardugo revealed that he asked Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) Head David Zini to investigate leaks within the organization, despite not being a journalist but rather “a media personality,” on Friday on Galei Israel radio.
Bardugo described meeting Zini in the luxurious offices at the Shin Bet headquarters and said that another person was also present in the room.
The TV channel i24 reported that the additional person was a Shin Bet official related to one of Channel 14’s staff members.
In response to the story, the Yashar party, led by Gadi Eisenkot, issued a strongly worded statement.
"David Zini owes the public an explanation: Why did he discuss this matter with someone who openly declared he is not a journalist, who has a clear political agenda, who is a close associate, one of the prime minister's biggest mouthpieces and loyal advocates, and who came with the goal of persuading him to launch an investigation against a media outlet in Israel?” the statement asked.
"If a political figure or someone close to the government is able to influence decisions concerning the exercise of security powers, this is a grave incident. The public deserves to know who made the request, who applied pressure, what was said during the meeting, and why it took place. Israeli democracy is not a plaything in the hands of any public official, and no political commentator should have the ability to influence it," the statement continued.
Legal group demanded disclosure
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel sent an urgent letter on Wednesday to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Zini, and Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara, demanding full disclosure of the reported meeting between Zini and Bardugo.
According to the movement, the meeting allegedly took place at the Shin Bet chief’s office in the agency’s Tel Aviv headquarters and concerned calls to examine Channel 12 over alleged leaks about the timing of an Israeli Air Force strike in Iran in late February.
Legal group says public interest overrides secrecy
The movement said the Shin Bet’s exemption from the Freedom of Information Law should not prevent disclosure in this case, arguing that the exemption is intended to protect operational secrecy, methods, and employee identities.
It argued that the reported meeting did not involve classified material because Bardugo does not hold a security clearance, and that one of the meeting’s alleged participants had already publicly discussed its existence and contents.
The Shin Bet, the movement wrote, is a public authority and a trustee of the public, adding that when the agency can share information without harming security, it must do so through law, discretion, and common sense.