Secret Talks Reveal Tzachi Braverman's Role in Bild Document Leak Affair
Investigation details reveal that Tzachi Braverman's name was known to Israeli authorities in November 2024 during secret state's witness talks with Eli Feldstein over the Bild document leak.
More than a year before the "Night Meeting" investigation was officially opened following Eli Feldstein's interview with Omri Asenheim on Kan 11, Tzachi Braverman's name was already known to investigators in connection with the case. Israel Hayom has learned that in November 2024, during secret negotiations to turn him into a state's witness, Feldstein stated that Braverman was the senior official he met in the Kirya parking lot, who allegedly presented him with information regarding the ongoing investigation into the classified document leak to Bild.
This was not the only information Feldstein offered in exchange for an agreement. During two days of preliminary talks before his indictment was filed, he offered to provide information on three issues: the night meeting with Braverman; Yonatan Urich's alleged involvement in publishing the document in Bild; and information allegedly concerning Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Behind the Scenes of the Negotiations
The negotiations did not mature into an agreement. Now, we reveal what happened behind the scenes of those talks, why the information about Braverman remained within the negotiation materials for over a year, and why Judge Menachem Mizrahi sharply criticized the process, stating: "The ears of anyone who reads this will tingle."
The security affair involving the prime minister's aides, known as the "Bild classified document leak affair," broke out in late 2024 amid the Swords of Iron war. The defendants include Eli Feldstein, IDF Military Intelligence (Aman) reserve non-commissioned officer Eli Rosenfeld, and close prime ministerial aide Yonatan Urich, who was added to the amended indictment last June.
"The ears of anyone who reads this will tingle," remarked Judge Menachem Mizrahi regarding the problematic nature of the conflicting versions found in the negotiation documents.
The Legal Dilemma
The legal question of what can be done with information provided by a suspect during state's witness negotiations—particularly when the suspect initiates the talks and they fail to yield an agreement—is complex. In this case, following consultations within the State Attorney's Office, it was decided not to use the information provided by Feldstein during those discussions.
The situation changed over a year later when Feldstein publicly named Braverman in his interview with Asenheim. This brought the information out of the realm of confidential negotiations, "whitening" it and enabling investigators to act upon the publicly disclosed information, thus paving the way for the "Night Meeting" investigation.
The second issue Feldstein sought to place on the negotiating table concerned Yonatan Urich. Prior to those talks, Feldstein had not mentioned Urich in his interrogations, but in his bid for a state's witness deal, he offered to state that Urich was involved in leaking the document to Bild.
