The Chief Rabbis’ of Israel: “President must pardon soldier arrested for leaking documents” (update)

There is really nothing more to say about these correct demands by the Chief Rabbis of Israel than “Agreed”.

It seems absurd that an IDF soldier who passed on war-critical documents to the Prime Minister’s office should be charged and in custody. As far as I know, this is not a crime in any democracy. You cannot leak state documents to the Prime Minister, because all state documents are in principle accessible to the Prime Minister.

To my understanding, the leaking of state documents to the Prime Minister’s office is not possible. Or are there state-produced documents that the Israeli Prime Minister does not receive? The accusation of “leaking” can backfire.

Yes, he may have made an administrative error. He did not follow the official channels, which resulted in a simple disciplinary procedure, but not severe imprisonment, as the defendant’s lawyer explains. A charge of endangering state security is IMHO incomprehensible.

The story is that the Chief Rabbis of Israel, Rabbi David Yosef and Rabbi Kalman Ber, have asked President Herzog to pardon the soldier who leaked classified documents to PM’s spokesman Eli Feldstein.

The Chief Rabbis of Israel said as quoted by Arutz Sheva: “The difficult decision made in his case is causing division within the nation. We see the presidency as a symbol of peace and unity. The soldier deeply regrets his actions. We join many others in urging you to use your authority to grant him a pardon,“

Rather, there are fears that the actions of the persecution authorities will divide Israeli society. The attorneys noted in the pardon request that the soldier is detained under “harsh and degrading conditions” and that “failing to halt the escalating situation could lead to unprecedented distrust and division between the public and law enforcement systems, potentially causing fears of foreign and irrelevant considerations. This deeply concerns us as a society, and thus, we request his pardon from the President immediately.” Arutz Sheva quotes the attorney.

The Chief Rabbies of Israel concluded the letter to the President: “We are convinced that a decision on amnesty will be accepted with appreciation, sympathy, and understanding in all strata of Israeli society, which these days needs peace among us more than anything.“

Update 24.12.2024 at 21:34 Israeli time