'Witch hunt': Netanyahu releases video criticizing investigation into PMO, Eli Feldstein

In the video, Netanyahu called the investigation a "witch hunt" aimed not only at him, but at the Israeli public.

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF NOVEMBER 23, 2024 19:03 Updated: NOVEMBER 23, 2024 19:21

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the Knesset plenum, November 18, 2024 (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu released a nine-minute video to his X/Twitter on Saturday evening, criticizing the allegations against the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) and the document leak case, while defending his aid, Eli Feldstein.

“Unfortunately, this current witch hunt is taking a heavy toll—not just on my office staff but on young individuals whose families are being destroyed," he said.

"Yesterday, an indictment was filed against Feldstein and against an IDF non-commissioned officer regarding the leak of that same Hamas document. The goal is clear: to harm me and to harm you—the citizens of Israel who support me," Netanyahu stated. 

Netanyahu called Feldstein a "passionate Zionist and patriot" and said that "there is no chance in the world that he [Feldstein] would intentionally do anything to harm state security."

Netanyahu sharply criticized previous leaks that, according to him, were not investigated. "It doesn't take a genius to understand why there was no investigation into these leaks. The public isn't foolish. And now, we have a single investigation into one leak regarding a document that exposes Hamas's strategy to divide Israeli society and pressure me and the government to surrender to Hamas's will."

האמת תנצח. הצהרה מיוחדת ממני אליכם >> pic.twitter.com/WdlKEDC6jW

— Benjamin Netanyahu - בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) November 23, 2024

"Was this document supposed to be on my desk? Why didn’t it reach me? This isn’t the first time critical information hasn’t been delivered to me. But here, and only here, an investigation has been launched—not just an investigation, but accusations of document forgery, blackmail, and threats in the Prime Minister’s Office—things that never happened."

"You know this witch hunt. This campaign isn’t just aimed at me but also at you, the public that elected me and [chose] the path I lead to confront our enemies."

This is a developing story.