During a press briefing this evening (Wednesday), following the recovery of hostage Itai Svirsky’s body, IDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Daniel Hagari was asked about the IDF’s stance on the Feldstein Law, which passed its preliminary reading today.
In response, Hagari clarified that the IDF does not withhold information from political authorities and operates under their directives for the benefit of the state’s security. He emphasized that the document in question was accessible to authorized government officials. However, Hagari also noted:
“This document was stolen from the IDF and bypassed censorship when transferred to a newspaper in Germany. This was exposed to the enemy and harmed Israel’s security.”
He continued:
“As for the law—this law is very dangerous to the IDF. It creates a situation where any junior figure in the IDF could, on their own initiative, steal and leak IDF documents or intelligence. This poses a significant risk to human lives and soldiers’ safety, making it extremely dangerous for the IDF and the state’s security.”
IDF Clarification and Apology
Shortly after the unusual remarks against the new law, the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit issued a clarification, noting that the Chief of Staff reprimanded Hagari for overstepping his authority.
“The Chief of Staff reprimanded the IDF Spokesperson for his response regarding the law on disclosing classified information to the Prime Minister and ministers during a press briefing, as it exceeded his authority,” the statement said. It added, “The IDF does not criticize the legislature but presents its position to the political echelon through established channels.”
Following the IDF statement, Brig. Gen. Hagari issued a personal apology on X (formerly Twitter):
“In my statement this evening in response to a question, I spoke in a manner that exceeded my authority as IDF Spokesperson, for which the Chief of Staff reprimanded me.”
Hagari further emphasized his commitment to maintaining professionalism:
“In the hundreds of statements and responses I’ve given since October 7, I have consistently upheld professionalism.”
He stressed that the IDF, as a state institution, operates within the framework of Israeli law and is fully subordinate to the political echelon:
“Israel is a democratic state, and the IDF is subject to the directives of the political leadership. Regarding legislative matters, the IDF conveys its position to the relevant authorities through established channels, not through other means.”
