Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Thursday informed attorneys representing Yonatan Urich, a close associate of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, that she intends to file an indictment against him in the so-called “Bild affair,” following a pre-indictment hearing in which his arguments were rejected.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Urich is expected to be charged with providing classified information with intent to harm state security, possession of classified material and destruction of evidence.
According to the indictment, Urich allegedly acted together with former Netanyahu spokesman Eli Feldstein to obtain and transmit raw classified material from Israel Defense Forces systems, including sensitive intelligence derived from classified sources.
The case concerns a military intelligence document reportedly outlining Hamas’ position on hostage negotiations, which was leaked and published in the German daily Bild. The publication was later cited by supporters of the government as reinforcing Netanyahu’s position that military pressure, rather than diplomatic negotiations, would secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
Prosecutors further allege that the material was used in an effort to influence public opinion regarding political and military developments, including the aftermath of the August 2024 killing of six Israeli hostages.
According to the indictment, after Israeli military censorship blocked domestic publication of the material, Feldstein allegedly sought to publish it abroad. He is said to have contacted media-connected intermediaries, including Israel Einhorn, to facilitate publication in Bild.
Following publication, Feldstein allegedly wrote to Urich: “Take your time, the boss is happy.”
The indictment also describes alleged coordination between Feldstein and Urich in preparing messaging for the Prime Minister’s Office in response to the publication. Prosecutors claim Urich possessed the classified material and participated in drafting a proposed statement for Netanyahu.
In another exchange cited in the indictment, Feldstein allegedly said: “I collected the documents, they need to be passed on to the boss.”
Defense attorneys Amit Hadad and Noa Milstein rejected the allegations, stating: “Yonatan Urich denies all the allegations attributed to him. Urich has never possessed or disclosed classified information and certainly has not harmed state security.”
They added: “The prosecution’s decision is wrong and disconnected from the evidence. Instead of closing a case that has no basis, the prosecution is clinging to a flawed theory. As in previous claims, this case will also be shown to have no foundation.”
