Police have begun a preliminary probe into Haaretz journalist Uri Misgav and are gathering material concerning him following a letter of complaint submitted on behalf of Yair Netanyahu, the son of the prime minister, Channel 13 News journalist Aviad Glickman reported Wednesday evening.
Glickman stressed that at this stage, this is not a criminal investigation but rather the beginning of a police examination. He said that, as of now, police have also not approached the Attorney General to request authorization to investigate Misgav over actions carried out in the course of his work as a journalist.
The probe follows a letter of complaint sent several days ago by attorney Uriel Nizri, Netanyahu’s lawyer, to the Israel Police Commissioner, with copies sent to the head of the Shin Bet and the Attorney General. The letter alleges that posts published by Misgav on social media exposed Netanyahu’s place of residence in Miami, details of his security arrangements and his travel habits.
In the letter, Netanyahu links the publications to an alleged assassination attempt by Iranian operatives. According to the complaint, individuals sent on behalf of Iranian intelligence reached the entrance to the residence in Miami, and the Shin Bet security personnel accompanying Netanyahu were forced to confront “an Iranian terrorist cell at the doorstep."
The complaint further alleges that Misgav published Netanyahu’s exact place of residence, including the name of the building, the apartment number and the floor, as well as details concerning his security arrangements. Among other things, the letter alleges that the number of security guards, the manner in which they rotated shifts, Netanyahu’s travel habits, and details concerning flights and flight times were published.
Nizri argued in the letter that this was not a one-time publication but rather “systematic, consistent and ongoing" activity. He claimed that the information published provided hostile actors with a “road map" regarding Netanyahu’s security arrangements and potential vulnerabilities, endangering both Netanyahu and his security personnel.
In light of the allegations, Netanyahu demanded that a criminal-security investigation be opened against Misgav and that he be arrested. The letter attributed a series of alleged offenses to Misgav, including assisting the enemy in wartime, providing information to the enemy with the intent of harming state security, deliberately endangering lives, and compromising the security of protected individuals.
Glickman noted that authorization from the Attorney General is required in order to investigate a journalist for actions carried out in the course of his professional duties, and that no such authorization has been requested at this stage. He also questioned why the letter of complaint was sufficient to prompt the preliminary probe when Yair Netanyahu himself, according to Glickman, had not gone to the police to file a complaint.