Release the transcripts
In 2010, then IDF Chief of General Staff Lt. Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi disseminated false information that was designed to thwart the appointment of his successor. He essentially tried to deprive the cabinet of its legal prerogative. Four years later, this saga appears to be drawing to a close.
The police have concluded their protracted probe, which, if Attorney-General Yehuda Weinstein had his way, would have never been conducted. He greenlighted the investigation only after he was presented with new information. The damning revelations left him no choice but to get to the bottom of the matter.
The uniformed officers under Israel Police Commissioner Insp. Gen. Yohanan Danino and the head of the police's Investigations and Intelligence Branch Major General Menachem Yitzhak had to tread lightly lest they rub someone the wrong way, and this affected their findings.
They said there was sufficient evidence to prosecute Ashkenazi for sharing state secrets with unauthorized individuals, and also that the state should indict former IDF Spokesman Brig. Gen. (res.) Avi Benayahu, former Chief Military Advocate General and current Cabinet Secretary Avichai Mandelblit, Col. (res.) Gabi Siboni, Col. (res.) Boaz Harpaz, and Ashkenazi's former bureau chief Col. (res.) Erez Weiner over alleged obstruction of justice, including collusion. The severity of their alleged crimes has already had the Movement for Quality Government in Israel call for Mandelblit's suspension.
On Monday, Channel 1 executive and news anchor Ayala Hasson said Ashkenazi may have compromised lives by leaking information on a top-secret mission. The police said the same thing on Tuesday. Israel Hayom's Mordechai Gilat said this warrants Ashkenazi's arrest, adding that his alleged transgressions were possibly worse than what Anat Kamm did several years ago. Kamm, who leaked classified information to the Israeli media, was sentenced to more than three years in prison.
The Israel Police made the right call by faulting Ashkenazi. They are correct in saying that he and his cohorts should stand trial for their alleged obstruction of justice and suppression of evidence. Of course, all these would-be defendants are innocent until proven guilty, but as far as the police are concerned, they have already broken the law.
Having said all that, the police did not tackle the issues at the core of this affair. Weinstein and the former head of the Investigations and Intelligence Branch Major General Yoav Segalovich wanted to have the case shut. Their investigators, who were in no rush to uncover the truth, failed to pursue the necessary leads and gather the evidence by summoning persons of interest. Dr. Ronen Bergman and I wrote a book about this saga ("The Pit"), but the police chose not to present him with questions about the information he uncovered during his research.
In May 2012, former State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss asked Weinstein to launch an investigation after he received new information from Harpaz (who, police believe, was behind the misinformation coming out of Ashkenazi's office). Weinstein initially refused, but was convinced otherwise by Chief Military Advocate General Maj. Gen. Danny Efroni.
The police was also at fault. If this affair had been a soccer match, the police would have been flagged for offside. Ashkenazi used the fabricated Harpaz document and shared it with those who did not need to see it. He also withheld it from the very people who were looking for it. The Israel Police faulted him for this subversive behavior, but stopped short at calling this criminal. Quite mind-boggling.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu assigned Defense Ministry security chief Amir Kain to investigate the security breaches that resulted in classified data being leaked. But Kain allegedly informed Ashkenazi and others around him about the probe. Something has to be done about Kain's misconduct. A purge or a criminal indictment is in order. Disciplinary action is a half measure.
Haaretz's Gidi Weitz wrote on Tuesday that Weinstein, Segalovich, former State Attorney Moshe Lador and their colleagues owe us an explanation for their conduct. They have to tell us why they did not aggressively pursue the truth, Weitz wrote. One day, when the full body of evidence comes to light -- including the transcripts of the talks held behind the scenes -- Israelis will finally be able to appreciate the full extent of the gangrene that developed at Ashkenazi's bureau before he became a suspect.
Now that the police's job is done we can tabulate the half-time score: The police did a great job, but this will not go down as one of their finest moments.
We now enter an new phase. We must make Weinstein uncover the truth and constantly pressure him to continue where the police left off lest he discard their recommendations and let Ashkenazi's people off the hook.
We must wage this battle on both fronts. We are in for a long journey.
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