Eli Feldstein was interviewed Monday evening by Omri Assenheim on Kan 11, where he for the first time laid out his version of the behind-the-scenes events that ultimately led to the indictment against him over the leaking of documents to Bild and to the investigations in the Qatargate affair.
Feldstein revealed a dramatic and potentially explosive detail that could lead to the opening of another investigation. According to him, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, who is slated to be appointed ambassador to London, was aware of the investigation being conducted by the Defense Ministry’s security department within the IDF and told him he could even arrange to have the investigation stopped.
Feldstein first described the incident during an interrogation on November 7, 2024, but at the time refused to identify the person who had met with him and informed him about the investigation. He told investigators that it involved “a very senior figure, a crazy Pandora’s box that would affect everyone, and it is really dangerous to say.” When asked whether the person was a military officer, Feldstein replied: “Not a military man, one of the most powerful people in the country.”
Tzachi Braverman and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Photograph by Oren Ben Hakoon.
It is important to note that Feldstein gave this version only once during questioning and did not repeat it afterward. He also told investigators that the same “senior figure” arrived accompanied by two or three security guards who did not hear the content of the conversation.
According to Feldstein, the figure in question, whom he has now identified as Braverman, promised that he could silence the leak in his own way. When investigators pressed him to explain what he meant, Feldstein asked: “Do you know what the poison machine is?” He said that “they,” referring to the Prime Minister’s Office, “threw him to the dogs,” and that he feared physical harm to himself and his family. He added that both he and his father had received messages warning him not to speak.
Eli Feldstein in court. Photo: Yehoshua Yosef.
Investigators sought to assess the credibility of his account and asked whether there was any documentation of the meeting. Feldstein replied that there was none, no cameras and no record of a security badge transfer. A source familiar with the investigation said this version was not thoroughly examined, as Feldstein changed his account several times.
The Prime Minister’s Office said in response: “The content of the conversations with Feldstein attributed to the prime minister is entirely fabricated. The prime minister rejects any attempt to ascribe to him ulterior motives, improper considerations or illegal actions.”
In a response issued on behalf of Netanyahu’s chief of staff, Tzachi Braverman, it was stated: “Feldstein is lying and inventing stories that never happened. Feldstein’s claim that the chief of staff offered to intervene in or influence the investigation is another false fabrication. The chief of staff has no influence, and cannot have any influence, over ongoing investigations. Feldstein was offered a position as a spokesperson. For that purpose, he was sent for a security suitability check, which he failed, and his candidacy was immediately disqualified.”
The statement added: “The chief of staff learned of the investigation only when it was reported in the media, and only then did he first learn of the connection between Feldstein and Rosenfeld. The chief of staff did not know Rosenfeld, never met him, and had no connection to him whatsoever.”
