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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Netanyahu's former top aide leaked secret information to media









Uzi Arad, who was previously thought to have resigned, was fired from his post as national security adviser after he was found to have inadvertently leaked confidential security information.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had decided to fire his former National Security Adviser Uzi Arad several months ago after he was found to have leaked important security information to the media.

The details of the case were only now revealed, after Arad's dismissal was previously presented as a resignation. The Prime Minister's Bureau has refused to directly comment on the issue.

The case began in the summer of 2010, when confidential security information was published in one of the Israeli news outlets. As a result, Netanyahu immediately ordered the Shin Bet to investigate the matter and locate the source of the leak. Most of Netanyahu's closest aides were questioned and underwent a polygraph test. Arad, who during his tenure routinely urged the prime minister to locate whistleblowers and punish them, was also questioned and was initially cleared along with many other government officials.

Meanwhile, the Shin Bet investigation had secretly carried on, and it was ultimately found that Arad was indeed the one responsible for the leak. Arad had allegedly let the information slip during a conversation with a reporter. The Defense Ministry later came to the conclusion that the leak caused significant harm to Israel's security.

According to a report on Channel 10, Netanyahu was the one who decided to dismiss Arad from his position as national security adviser, due to the findings of the Shin Bet investigation.

Attorney General Yehuda Weinstein had decided not to try Arad due to the fact that Arad was willing to immediately resign, as well as due to the assumption that Arad had inadvertently let the information slip so his actions had no malicious intent.

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