Speaking out of turn: Hagari under fire from MKs, Halevi for comments against Feldstein bill

Hagari spoke during a press conference discussing the IDF's operation that returned the body of hostage Itai Svirsky, and addressed the controversial Feldstein bill.

By MAYA GUR ARIEH DECEMBER 4, 2024 21:35 Updated: DECEMBER 4, 2024 21:48

Brigadier-General Daniel Hagari, the IDF spokesperson. (photo credit: Association of Spokespersons and Public Relations Officers of Local Authorities in Israel)

Defense Minister Israel Katz said that he intends to hold a disciplinary procedure against IDF Spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, who criticized the "Feldstein bill," calling it "very dangerous to the IDF" during a press conference on Wednesday evening. 

Katz criticized Hagari, saying, "The IDF Spokesperson’s criticism of the political echelon and the legislative process in the Knesset is a serious and extraordinary phenomenon, completely outside of its authority and what is permitted and expected from someone in uniform in a democratic regime."

"I intend to take disciplinary action against him as soon as possible to draw the necessary conclusions."

Hagari spoke during a press conference that discussed the IDF's operation that returned the body of hostage Itai Svirsky, who was killed in Hamas captivity, as well as the IDF probe investigating the deaths of six hostages. During the press conference, he was also asked about the Feldstein bill, which was passed in a preliminary vote in the Knesset. 

The bill would make soldiers who make unauthorized transfers of secret documents to the prime minister's office or defense minister's office immune from criminal responsibility. 

"The IDF does not withhold information from the political echelon. The IDF operates under the instructions of the political echelon to ensure the security of the State of Israel. I want to clarify – the document in question was accessible to authorized individuals in the Prime Minister's Office."

"This document was stolen from the IDF and transferred to a newspaper in Germany through a route that bypassed the censorship. This exposed the information to the enemy, and it harmed the security of the State of Israel."

"Regarding the law - this law is very dangerous to the IDF. It is dangerous because it would create a situation where any low-ranking official in the IDF could, at their discretion, steal and leak documents or intelligence information," Hagari said during the press conference. 

"This is a serious matter that could endanger lives and the safety of soldiers, and it is very dangerous to the IDF and to the security of the state."

IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi reprimanded Hagari over his response to the question at the press conference, saying that it was "beyond his authority." 

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"The IDF does not criticize the legislature but rather presents its position to the political echelon through the accepted mechanisms for doing so."

Eliav Breuer and Yonah Jeremy Bob contributed to this report.