Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara's staff, contacted the office of then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant twice in an effort to persuade him to withdraw his demand to open a criminal investigation following the leak of the Sde Teiman video.
According to the report, the AG's office presented a range of arguments aimed at defusing the issue, and argued, among other things, that the act did not justify a criminal investigation and that state security had not been harmed as a result of the leak.
Testimonies indicate that Gallant was not satisfied with the progress of the investigation that began after the leak. Ultimately, he demanded an inquiry, but this request was rejected by the AG and deputy military advocate, Gal Asael, who made clear to him that such a process could harm the criminal investigation being conducted under the AG's close supervision.
Further descriptions in the probe state that the deputy military advocate, who was appointed to examine the leak, acted according to the instructions of the AG's office. In his testimony, he said he received praise for his examinations, but there is no indication of direct involvement by the AG in a cover-up or in the leak.
Despite the AG's staff's attempts, investigators are now examining whether there were flaws in the handling of the criminal process, but defense officials say there is no suspicion of direct involvement by the AG or other actors in a cover-up.