In the latest in an onslaught of scandals involving Yair Netanyahu and his security detail, a member of his security team was caught asking Israeli anti-judicial reform activists not to publish important information relating to the Netanyahu family, according to a report by N12 on Friday.
In an interview given to the program “Friday Studio,” Offir Gutelzon, an American resident and dual Israeli-American citizen, said he received a strange call from an unknown caller in Hebrew.
“Come talk to me for a second, really; I only need you for five minutes to convey some small message, and that’s all, nothing more than that.”
On the other end of the line was a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s son’s Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) security detail.
They told Gutelzon, “I’m a Shin Bet agent, I’m calling, and it’s important to me that you know we’re not the thought police, and we’re not political, and we’re just doing our job.”
The agent specifically asked Gutelzon not to publish anything about Netanyahu and the Netanyahu family.
When Gutelzon asked why he was contacted, the agent said, “Of course, you must know [why].” Gutelzon told N12, “Of course, I don’t know why, except that I’m leading a protest.”
Gutelzon was surprised that he would receive such a call in America, saying, “It’s very strange because you hear about things that happen in Israel – all kinds of things that happen with the police in front of protest activists, entering houses…”
He felt as if they had violated his privacy and felt intimidated.
Reactions to the revelations
The American State Department commented on the revelation, saying, “As a general matter, the United States would oppose any effort by any foreign government attempting to intimidate any individuals in the United States from engaging in protected free speech activities,” Spokesman Matthew Miller added.
Gutelzon was one of the leaders of the anti-judicial reform protests on the West Coast of America, organizing the protest outside the meeting between Benjamin Netanyahu and Elon Musk in September last year, according to Haaretz.
The Shin Bet responded, “The agency has a security responsibility toward members of the prime minister’s family by virtue of the decision of a committee of ministers. Publishing the locations of protected individuals may expose these individuals to terrorist elements at a time when the Shin Bet detects an increase in threats against Jews and Israelis outside of Israel.”
“Furthermore, when this is required for the purpose of fulfilling its duties and responsibilities, the Shin Bet deems it appropriate, when necessary, to explain the potential consequences of exposing such locations given the growing threats to security issues abroad. For the sake of clarity, events of protest or provocation, including of a protected individual, are not the business of the Shin Bet.”
