In a dramatic development in a case that has gripped Israeli society, a senior non-commissioned military intelligence officer, known only as "Reservist A" due to a court-imposed gag order, broke his silence Sunday during a hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court. The officer, detained in connection with a classified documents leak, made his first public statement while petitioning for the release of his name.
"I made a mistake in how I acted and will never repeat it," the officer told the court, challenging the continued suppression of his identity. "I cannot fight for my innocence and good name while in darkness and shadows."
The case has sparked intense debate in Israel, particularly as details emerged about the officer's decade of service in military intelligence and his stated motivations. According to court documents, his sole intention was to ensure that sensitive information reached then-Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to aid in decision-making processes.
The controversy has now drawn in Israel's highest religious authorities. In an unusual intervention, Israel's Chief Rabbis — David Yosef and Kalman Bar — have appealed directly to President Isaac Herzog for clemency, warning of a deepening societal rift over the case. Their letter, while carefully avoiding direct criticism of the judicial decision, emphasized the case's potential to further divide an already fractured Israeli society.
"We are convinced that a decision to pardon would be received with appreciation, sympathy, and understanding across all layers of Israeli society," the Chief Rabbis wrote, highlighting the unique timing of their appeal during a period of national crisis.
Last Thursday, as reports emerged of a deterioration in his condition in detention, the officer formally requested a presidential pardon through his legal team.
His attorneys — Uri Korev, Sivan Russo, and Yehoshua Lamberger — have mounted a vigorous defense, pointing to what they describe as discriminatory treatment of their client compared to civilian cases involving similar charges.
The legal filing details the officer's extensive military service and community volunteering, while emphasizing a critical finding by the District Court: that his actions were motivated by a desire to ensure complete information reached senior decision-makers, rather than any intent to harm state security.
His defense team has strongly contested the prosecution's characterization of their client as an ongoing security risk. "A. understands that despite the urgency he identified regarding the information about the negotiations, and the acute importance of the research document he transferred, he should have brought the matter to his commanders' attention," they argued in court documents.
The case has become a flashpoint in broader debates about national security, transparency, and the balance between military discipline and individual conscience in Israel. Defense attorneys have warned that their client's continued detention under what they describe as "harsh and humiliating conditions" risks undermining public confidence in the legal system.
This is especially shocking because his co-defendant Eli Feldstein was released to house arrest, even when concerns remained that he had intended to harm state security. In addition, the conditions Feldstein was kept in were so disgraceful and abusive that he told his lawyer that it would be preferable to be dead than to suffer like that. He was even 'gifted' by a rope with which to hang himself. So if that's anything to go by, the reservist is being held under similar conditions and is suffering tremendously.
The State of Israel and the vicious Attorney General are to blame for destroying this young man's life, in some evil and misguided witch hunt which Israelis have long since been quite sick of.
In their appeal to President Herzog, the legal team argued that failing to resolve the case quickly could lead to "unprecedented distrust and rift between the public and the law enforcement system," suggesting that the public might begin to question whether "foreign and irrelevant considerations" are influencing the prosecution.
During Sunday's hearing, the officer made an emotional appeal, expressing longing for his family, particularly his young son and wife. The timing of these developments, against the backdrop of broader national security concerns, has added additional weight to a case that continues to challenge Israel's judicial, military, and political establishments.
It's time to end this madness.
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