The Israel Police decided this evening (Sunday) to summon former ISA chief Nadav Argaman for questioning, two days after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed an official complaint against him with the police due to "blackmailing a sitting Prime Minister."
Hours after Netanyahu submitted the complaint, the police assessed that Argaman would be questioned under warning regarding his statements.
The decision to summon the former ISA chief for questioning was made without consulting the state prosecutor or Attorney General.
Yesterday, the current head of the ISA, Ronen Bar, distanced himself from his predecessor. "We do not misuse the organization's power unnecessarily," Bar said, referring to Argaman's statement that he would publish information about Netanyahu if he thought he was violating the law.
"After yesterday's events and all the publications in the media, I want to clarify the most important thing - the ISA is a state organization that carries out its missions according to the law," Bar wrote to former ISA members.
"The strength and resilience of the organization lies in its values. A state body and its leader do not misuse the organization's power unnecessarily for fulfilling its purpose. This was not and will not be our way. Not in words and certainly not in actions."
Bar added: "I intend to keep the ISA a state organization focused on its missions for the sake of the state's security. I am distancing myself from discourse that is not state-oriented and not in line with our values and actions."
Netanyahu's complaint was filed due to Argaman's statements in an interview with Channel 12 News, in which he said: "There is great importance to the intimacy between the head of the ISA and Prime Minister, and I don't think it's right to harm that intimacy to ensure the correctness of the relationships and the working connections and the transparency that must exist between the parties. And that is why I am currently keeping everything that happened between me and Netanyahu private. It is absolutely clear that I have a lot of knowledge, I can use it, and I am not using it for the reasons I mentioned."
"If I reach the conclusion that Netanyahu has decided to act contrary to the law, then if there is no choice I will say everything I know and have refrained from saying until today."
The complaint claims that Argaman's statements constitute a serious offense of blackmail, as well as a violation of the ISA Law, which prohibits former and current ISA employees from disclosing sensitive information.
It is also claimed that this constitutes a direct threat to Netanyahu, and that failure to take action could be considered a serious violation of the rule of law.