By Pesach Benson • May 26, 2026
Jerusalem, 26 May, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The Attorney General’s office announced on Tuesday that Tzachi Braverman, the chief of staff in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, will be indicted on charges of fraud, breach of trust and obstruction of justice, pending a pre-indictment hearing.
The case centers on what investigators have called the “midnight meeting” in October 2024, part of a broader probe tied to the classified documents leak to the German newspaper Bild. Prosecutors allege that Braverman learned a covert investigation was underway into the leak of sensitive intelligence material and then moved quickly to meet key figures connected to the affair.
A classified Israeli military document detailing Hamas’s position on hostage negotiations was published in the German daily, bolstering Netanyahu’s position that military pressure, rather than diplomatic negotiations, would secure the release of hostages held in Gaza.
According to the prosecution’s account, Braverman summoned Eli Feldstein, a communications adviser to Netanyahu, to an urgent late-night meeting in the parking lot of the Defense Ministry’s headquarters in Tel Aviv. The two met inside Feldstein’s car, where Braverman allegedly raised concerns about whether Feldstein was under investigation and whether others in the Prime Minister’s Office were implicated.
During the encounter, Braverman reportedly read out names written on a piece of paper, including that of Ari Rosenfeld, and questioned Feldstein about possible connections. He also allegedly told Feldstein that he was aware of an ongoing investigation and suggested he could intervene if necessary.
“Is it related to you? Is it related to us? Because if so, I can turn it off,” Braverman is quoted as saying, according to investigators’ summary of the conversation. Feldstein denied involvement, and the meeting ended shortly afterward.
The case later expanded into a wider investigation that led to the arrest of Feldstein and Rosenfeld. Prosecutors subsequently indicted both men, alleging that Rosenfeld transferred classified intelligence material to Feldstein and that Feldstein facilitated its further transmission, which ultimately led to publication in Bild.
Braverman, who had been designated as Israel’s next ambassador to the United Kingdom, has not taken up the post due to the investigation. Currently under house arrest, Braverman faces a travel ban and restrictions on contact with officials in the Prime Minister’s Office, including Netanyahu.
