PMO security scandal heats up with arrest of new suspect

On Sunday, it was reported that Netanyahu's aid, Eliezer Feldstein, was a suspect in leaking sensitive security documents.

 Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a state ceremony at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024 (photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a state ceremony at Mount Herzl military cemetery in Jerusalem on October 27, 2024
(photo credit: Chaim Goldberg/Flash90)

An additional suspect was arrested in the Prime Minister Office security scandal, Israeli media reported on Monday. 

On Sunday, it was reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's aid, Eliezer Feldstein, was suspected of leaking sensitive security documents. 

Feldstein grew up in a well-known family in Bnei Brak and belongs to the circle of "modern working haredim." After enlisting in the IDF, he advanced to senior positions, and after his discharge, he began his path in the political world.

He studied at Or Israel Yeshiva in Petah Tikva, which is associated with the mainstream Lithuanian Judaism within the haredi sector. He also grew up alongside six other siblings.

His father, Yehoshua Feldstein, is a well-known lawyer and rabbinical pleader. His mother, Bina Feldstein, is a prominent advertising and marketing professional who heads an advertising agency for the haredi public called "Feedback."

 Eliezer Feldstein, the central suspect in the PMO security leak affair. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT, Via Maariv)
Eliezer Feldstein, the central suspect in the PMO security leak affair. (credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON'S UNIT, Via Maariv)

Enlisting in the IDF

In 2014, he enlisted in the IDF as one of the pioneering Haredim of the current period to enlist and, within a few short years, rose to senior officer positions.

He quickly advanced to significant roles, initially overseeing haredi media on behalf of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, then as the head of the office of the Head of the Planning Division at the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, and later as the operations officer of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit.

Feldstein's last position in his military service was as the spokesperson for the Judea and Samaria Division. During this period, he built connections with journalists across various media outlets, both in the Haredi and general sectors.

Those who worked with him described him as "silver-tongued," adept at his role within the framework of "give and take."