Central Lod District Court Judge Amit Michales accepted a police appeal, ruling that Yonatan Urich, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisor, remains prohibited from contacting the prime minister for ten more days.
The decision overturns a previous ruling by Magistrate Judge Menachem Mizrahi, who had extended Urich’s release conditions but did not extend the contact ban. The court noted that the prohibition is limited to those involved in the case, including the Prime Minister’s office, and emphasized that the restriction is not overly burdensome and serves to protect the integrity of the investigation.
The ruling also revealed that police had twice attempted to take testimony from Netanyahu but were unable to do so due to his schedule during the early days of Operation Roaring Lion. The contact ban will remain in effect until March 19, alongside the other conditions of Urich’s release.