Netanyahu's Chief of Staff investigated for Oct 7 protocol tampering
Tzachi Braverman is being investigated for forgery and fraud offenses related to attempts to alter transcripts and protocols of cabinet discussions from the beginning of the war
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Chief of Staff, Tzachi Braverman, is being investigated for alleged changes to Cabinet protocols on the morning of the October 7 Hamas attack.
Considered one of Netanyahu's closest associates, this questioning comes on suspicion of forgery, as well as fraud offenses related to attempts to alter transcripts and protocols of cabinet discussions from the beginning of the war.
Walla requested the hearing to lift the gag order in the classified documents case, and The courts have permitted details about the case to be published.
The case will now also focus on whether changes were made to Cabinet protocols, Walla reported.
According to Maariv, the investigation stemmed from a report by former security secretary Avi Gil, who told the government’s legal adviser about unusual changes to copies of protocol records.
Braverman changed the time of the first conversation between the military secretary and Netanyahu on the day of the war, replacing 06:40 with 06:29 on a copy of the protocol transcript, Maariv reported.
The protocol forgery investigation is one of two major cases in the PMO being investigated.
The second case, dealing with leaking classified military documents to foreign media, has led to the arrest of four suspects.
Two senior officials in the PMO gave open testimony, one for each case.
Maariv reported that Braverman has been linked to another case, the alleged extortion of an intelligence officer in the Prime Minister's Office who filed a complaint with the IDF Chief of Staff, though he is not expected to be questioned about it at this time.
The Movement for Quality Government in Israel issued a statement calling for a deep and thorough investigation.
"Throughout the past year, we have warned that there has been an unprecedented attempt to prevent documentation of cabinet discussions, and in July we demanded that the attorney general and the police commissioner open a criminal investigation.
These serious suspicions require that the investigation be immediately deepened and widened to include all those involved, including the question of the knowledge and involvement of the most senior-ranking. This is a serious case of damage to public trust and the right to know the truth about the biggest security failure in the history of the country."
Eli Feldstein
A source familiar with the details told Walla that investigators would struggle to link the Prime Minister to this case and attribute any criminal offense to him. According to the source, even suspicions against Eli Feldstein, the main suspect in the case of leaking classified documents, are expected to weaken, and the offense will likely be lessened to possessing classified documents.
Currently, Feldstein is being investigated by State Attorney Amit Isman for the intent to harm state security.
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