Rosenfeld’s lawyers sent a letter to the State Attorney’s Office claiming that “investigative materials that are highly relevant and vital were hidden from the defense.”
Attorneys for IDF reservist Ari Rosenfeld have demanded that prosecutors immediately hand over what they described as investigative materials unlawfully withheld from the defense, arguing that the information goes to the heart of the credibility of Eli Feldstein – a central figure whose statements underpin the prosecution’s case in the high-profile “Bild” classified documents leak case.
Although Feldstein himself is an indicted defendant in the affair, prosecutors have relied heavily on statements he provided during the investigation to establish the alleged chain of events leading to the leak.
Rosenfeld, an intelligence reservist, was charged with unlawfully transferring a classified military document originating within IDF intelligence to Feldstein, a former spokesman with close ties to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The document was later published by the German newspaper Bild in September 2024, triggering a criminal investigation that has since expanded into one of the most politically sensitive security cases in recent years.
Rosenfeld’s defense fears ‘vital’ materials kept hidden
In a letter sent Sunday to the State Attorney’s Office, Rosenfeld’s lawyers – Uri Korb, Sivan Russo, and Yehoshua Lemberger – said the prosecution concealed the existence of contacts between investigators and Feldstein aimed at securing his cooperation as a state witness. According to the defense, Feldstein provided versions during those contacts that contradict statements appearing in the disclosed investigative material, raising questions about the completeness of the evidence that had been turned over to the defense.
“As we feared and as we argued before the High Court, it has now emerged that investigative materials that are highly relevant and vital were hidden from the defense, and their very existence was even denied by the prosecution,” the attorneys said.
Eli Feldstein and Aaron “Ari” Rosenfeld, two of the suspects in the so-called Qatargate investigation arrives for a court hearing at the Tel Aviv District Court on July 15, 2025. (credit: AVSHALOM SASSONI/FLASH90)
The defense argued that the alleged concealment constitutes a serious violation of disclosure obligations and delivers “another blow” to Feldstein’s credibility, on which the prosecution’s case against Rosenfeld largely rests. Rosenfeld has consistently maintained that he transferred the materials to Feldstein after Feldstein falsely presented himself as holding the appropriate security clearance and as acting in coordination with the Prime Minister’s Office and other state authorities.
Prosecutors have previously said that Feldstein does not have, and has never had, a signed state-witness agreement, though they have acknowledged attempts to reach one. Rosenfeld’s lawyers stressed that the issue is not whether an agreement was finalized, but whether negotiations existed and whether materials generated during those talks – including contradictory versions provided by Feldstein – were improperly withheld.
Classified Hamas negotiation documents leaked
The Bild affair centers on the leak of a classified IDF intelligence assessment relating to Hamas and hostage negotiations, which was published in Bild amid intense public debate in Israel over the conduct of negotiations and the use of military pressure. Feldstein and Rosenfeld were indicted in connection with the leak, while investigators have examined whether the publication was intended to influence public opinion and political decision-making.
The case has unfolded alongside, but formally separate from, the so-called “Qatargate” investigation, which probes alleged ties between individuals close to Netanyahu and Qatari-linked influence efforts. Feldstein is a central figure in both investigations, and other Netanyahu associates, including adviser Yonatan Urich, have faced questioning and restrictive measures in related proceedings. Courts have repeatedly cautioned police against blurring the lines between the parallel probes.
In December, the Tel Aviv District Court lifted remaining restrictive conditions on Rosenfeld and Feldstein, sharply criticizing investigative delays and the lack of progress toward trial. More recently, courts reviewing police requests for continued restrictions on Netanyahu aides have faulted law enforcement for procedural missteps and overreach.
Rosenfeld’s lawyers argued on Sunday that the timing of the indictment against him – filed while the investigation was still unfolding – was designed to justify a request for his remand based on an incomplete evidentiary picture, without the court or the defense being aware of the full scope of the investigative record.
They added that newly surfaced materials and developments regarding Feldstein’s shifting versions only strengthen Rosenfeld’s claims that the case against him rests on a partial and fragile evidentiary foundation.
