Former prime minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday accused advisers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of intentionally sabotaging Israel’s diplomatic relations with Egypt.
“Section 121 of the Criminal Law explicitly states that a person who deliberately harms Israel’s relations with another country faces up to life imprisonment. That is exactly what Netanyahu’s people did when they intentionally sabotaged our relations with Egypt,” Bennett said.
Leaked messages, reportedly from Prime Minister Netanyahu’s office, have raised concerns over Egypt's role in hostage negotiations, with the messages allegedly favoring Qatar's involvement. The leaks, first reported by N12, include claims that "the Egyptians cannot be trusted" and accusations about Egyptian officials profiting from Hamas smuggling.
An ongoing investigation is looking into whether Israeli officials Eli Feldstein and Israel Einhorn could face charges for damaging Israel’s relations with Egypt. The leaked communications also suggest that a Qatari proposal undermined Egyptian efforts to negotiate a hostage deal, N12 reported.
The leak has reportedly strained relations between Israel and Egypt, with Egyptian officials closely monitoring Israeli media. A breakdown in ties could affect Israel's security, particularly with regard to maintaining peace along the southern border.
In his response, Bennett alleged that members of Netanyahu’s office received payments from Qatar and used their positions to harm Israel’s ties with Egypt.
The former prime minister referenced documents he claimed to have seen, which he said show that Netanyahu’s advisers acted to smear Egypt while serving the interests of Qatar and Hamas during a time of conflict. According to Bennett, one of the advisers was quoted as saying that they needed to “go after Egypt.”
Mandate of life imprisonment
Citing Section 121 of Israel's Criminal Law, which mandates up to life imprisonment for anyone who deliberately damages Israel’s relations with another country, Bennett said the actions of the advisers fell within the scope of this law.
Bennett called on Netanyahu to stop funding the legal defense of those involved and to publicly denounce their actions. He also urged the prime minister to respond to the Israeli public about the scandal.
This development comes amid heightened scrutiny of Netanyahu’s office and its foreign relations, amid ongoing regional tensions.
This is a developing story.