Israel has recently witnessed a new and intense escalation at the so-called eighth front that has emerged between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his government against the leadership of the Israeli army and other security services.
The dispute between the two sides has reached a stage where the PM has requested the dismissal of the military's chief spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari.
Hagari, known for his wartime propaganda and cold-bloodedness, is a beloved figure in Israel.
The vast majority of Israeli Jews, 87%, have confidence in the Army spokesperson, according to a poll conducted by the Israel Democracy Institute. This trust later dropped to 67% and again rose to 76%.
But the Israeli government wants to fire Hagari after the latter dared to criticize last Wednesday the so-called Feldstein law being advanced by the government. The law would shield members of the defense establishment from prosecution should they give classified intelligence to the prime minister or defense minister without authorization.
When asked about the law, Hagari said the legal amendment considered by lawmakers was “dangerous for the army and the country's security.”
During a press briefing, the spokesperson said the law aims to protect Eli Feldstein, a spokesman for Netanyahu, and an unnamed army reservist relating to their alleged involvement in the leak of stolen classified intelligence information to the foreign press.
“The army does not hide information from the political echelon. The army works in accordance with the political echelon for the defense of Israel,” Hagari said in response to a question at a press conference.
He said, “The document in question was accessible to the relevant authorities in the Prime Minister’s Office,” referring to the leaked classified intel.
“This law is very dangerous because it will create a situation where any junior official in the army can, based on his own personal judgment, steal documents or intelligence materials from the army,” he continued.
Angry Government
Hagari’s statements were met with criticism from government officials, including Defense Minister Israel Katz.
“The criticism by the army spokesman against the political echelon and against the legislative process in the Knesset is a grave incident and a complete deviation from his authority and what is allowed and expected of a uniformed person in a democratic regime,” Katz said.
Katz threatened that he would take “disciplinary action” against Hagari for his comments “as soon as possible.”
Hagari was also criticized by the government and several deputies, who said he had “exceeded the scope of his authority” by criticizing the law.
In a statement, Netanyahu said, “It is good that the army spokesman was put in his place to ensure that such a statement is not heard again.”
He added, “In a democratic country, the military is not supposed to interfere in political matters and certainly not criticize legislation.”
Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana said that in a democratic country, the military does not criticize the legislative process in parliament at a press conference.
“The army can express its position in the Knesset committee that prepares the law, as it has done countless times in the past, and as all state bodies that are monitored by the Knesset or are affected by legislation do,” Ohana said.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir linked Hagari’s criticism to Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s initiation of investigations of police officials who carried out orders by Ben Gvir to distribute weapons in contradiction to existing regulations.
“The spirit of the attorney general is seeping into the army spokesperson,” Ben Gvir said. “When Hagari sees that the attorney general disregards the government, he also disregards the defense minister. Full deep state – except this time, it's already from the get-go.”
Interior Minister Moshe Arbel said Hagari’s statement was a very serious crossing of a red line.
“No one in uniform has any right to publicly express a political opinion on political issues, whatever their position may be, especially when it contradicts the position of the relevant minister,” Arbel said.
For his part, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said, “Israel has an army, not the other way around.”
In response to the criticisms, the Israeli army issued a statement, saying “Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reprimanded the army spokesperson for his response to a question about the law on transferring classified information to the Prime Minister and ministers during a press briefing, in which he exceeded his authority.”
The statement added that the army “does not criticize the legislature but conveys its position to the political leadership through the appropriate mechanisms for that purpose.”
Later, Hagari issued a personal statement apologizing for his remarks.
“In my statement tonight in response to a question, I spoke in a way that exceeded my authority as the army spokesperson, and for this, I was reprimanded by the Chief of Staff. Israel is a democratic country, and the army is subordinate to the political leadership.”
He added, “In the hundreds of statements and questions I have answered since October 7, I have maintained professionalism.”
On Wednesday, the Knesset had approved the so-called Feldstein bill in a preliminary reading.
The proposed legislation was introduced by Knesset members Hanoch Milwidsky and Amit Halevi, both from Netanyahu's Likud Party.
It passed with 59 out of 120 votes in favor and 52 against.
The bill follows the “classified documents case,” which emerged months ago, implicating Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu's security spokesperson, and advisor Jonatan Urich in the alleged leak of military intelligence documents.
