Avishai Grinzaig
@avishaigrinzaig · Israeli journalists — political, diplomatic, legal
Avishai Grinzaig is an Israeli journalist.
These two clowns, with whom I unfortunately (probably) share the same profession, have no basic reading comprehension. Two failed campaigners. As Supreme Court President Esther Hayut said about Glikman: “Tell him to stop. He only causes damage.”
Translated from HebrewEven if we assume that Shlomi Eldar’s report is correct—which there is much reason to doubt, but for the sake of argument let’s assume the report is correct—this report really says nothing. It contains no real substance. But all the focus on the warning (which is not really an intelligence warning but simply a threat) that Netanyahu did or did not receive serves Netanyahu in particular. Instead of talking about a years-long strategic failure, people are talking about a snap decision that night or during those days. Weekend column
Translated from HebrewMeanwhile, Blinken, who surely has no interest whatsoever in helping Netanyahu, issued a denial and claimed that the story concerning him is entirely fictional and false. Herzog, who likewise has no interest in sticking his head into the story and taking fire, is issuing a statement saying that Eldar quoted in his name an incorrect story, while wildly taking the remarks out of context.
Translated from HebrewSmadar Peri has already had time to retract her claim that the intelligence minister spoke with Netanyahu. But Shlomi Eldar has a quote from that conversation. Here is a third version from that same Smadar Peri. The conversation was actually with Israeli generals. What can I say — journalism at its finest. >>>
Translated from HebrewFor nine months, the prosecution's decision on whether to indict Knesset member Aida Touma-Sliman, who injured a driver when she crossed an intersection on a red light, has been delayed. The Knesset member from the Hadash party drove in Acre in May 2025, when she crossed the intersection on a red light and injured a driver who crossed the intersection on a green light. In her interrogation, she claimed that to the best of her recollection she had crossed on a green light, but refused to commit to that. The evidence in the case indicates that she crossed the intersection on a red light. The Knesset member's questioning under caution was delayed for months, on the grounds that approvals were required. After the incident was exposed by i24NEWS, the police quickly completed the investigation and transferred the case to the prosecution in December 2025 for the filing of an indictment. Despite this being a simple and straightforward case, the case has been awaiting the prosecution's decision for nine months, as part of a chain of approvals before indicting a Knesset member. The prosecution said in response: “The case is in advanced stages of review”
Translated from HebrewA weekend column about Shin Bet chief David Zini, and the background noise his family regularly generates (leftists are exempt from reading this column)
Translated from HebrewThe interview with Sara Netanyahu on Channel 14 that caused an uproar was presented by the interviewer as a personal, not political, interview. However, Topaz Luk, the adviser to the prime minister and Likud, accompanied the filming. Likud demanded and also received from Channel 14 the complete raw footage before the edited interview was broadcast. Thus Sara Netanyahu’s statement about Yair Golan was not a slip of the tongue, but part of a Likud campaign that approved publishing this material.
Translated from HebrewReshef, as usual, is a genius. But this is truly unbelievable. After all, Yair Golan can be criticized for 7,000 things. Legitimate, justified, and even harsh criticism. But of all the things in the world, the prime minister's wife attacks him for running to rescue people from the Gaza envelope, with an insane and false conspiracy theory as if he knew about the massacre in advance. P.S. The prime minister's wife has no immunity.
Translated from HebrewAccording to the law—when an employee of the State Comptroller’s Office requests whistleblower status, the Speaker of the Knesset appoints a retired judge to examine the claims. The law stipulates that the Speaker of the Knesset appoints the judge after consulting with the President of the Supreme Court. Except that… Ohana refuses to recognize Amit as the President of the Supreme Court. What did he do? He agonized and agonized. In the end, he found a solution: he would not make the request himself, but would send the Knesset’s legal adviser to do so on his behalf. The legal adviser would not turn to the President of the Supreme Court but to the director of the courts so that he would turn to the President of the Supreme Court (I promise you!) The President of the Supreme Court received the request and instructed the Knesset’s legal adviser: According to the law, the request must come from the Speaker of the Knesset. Please send a new request from the Speaker of the Knesset. The matter was delayed for another six months. After six months, and coordination talks about wording that Ohana would agree to live with—the Speaker of the Knesset, Ohana, caved. The Knesset’s legal adviser sent a new request, in which she wrote that the request was made with the Speaker of the Knesset’s approval. High level. Not a minor detail—Amit took a very long time with his recommendation to the Speaker of the Knesset, which required the complainant to file a petition with the High Court of Justice, and therefore the High Court of Justice today ordered the President of the Supreme Court to pay costs. An event unlike anything I know.
Translated from HebrewTwo nice excerpts from the material left on the cutting-room floor concerning Motti Babchik: Babchik undertook to stop working for the Ministry of Housing upon Minister Goldknopf's departure. What happened in practice? Everyone knows. Contrary to the agreement with the ministry, Babchik continued with Katz and was fired only after he came out against Bibi.
Translated from HebrewI checked after Ayelet Lash's tweet, which definitely sounds troubling. This Fares is a serious piece of trash, and was once accused of attempted murder, and was indeed released as part of the Shalit deal. There is no way to bring him to justice for his actions back then. The Military Advocate General's Office has no authority whatsoever in the matter. Well, the police arrested him on 28.8. Since then they have done nothing with him. Yesterday, 30.8, they brought him in for a detention extension, without explaining why they are asking for an extension of his detention and not simply filing an indictment against him or submitting a prosecutor's statement, given that no further investigative actions are required. In other words, the police are asking for a detention extension *for investigative purposes*, but admit that there are no further investigative actions and that no investigative actions were carried out at all. From the very beginning, the police did not know how to explain anything. As a result, the judge ordered him released back to the checkpoint. A strange decision in my view, but the main blame here lies with the police. And the police still have the nerve to complain. They do not do their simple job, and on top of that try to shift the blame onto the Military Advocate General's Office, which is not relevant to the matter at all.
Translated from HebrewMoti Babchik has not been part of the Housing Ministry for over a year, but an employee in Minister Haim Katz's office continues to coordinate meetings for him and arrange his schedule. The “Deborah” affair
Translated from HebrewJune 21, 2024. Feldstein and Urich continue to advance the move to remove Herzi Halevi from his position as IDF chief of staff. A move they have already been advancing for the prime minister for some time. The method: fomenting a rift behind the scenes between Gallant and Herzi. Feldstein drafts the following query for a journalist: "We have learned that over the past month and a half there were several conversations, privately and in the presence of others, between Defense Minister Gallant and Defense Ministry Director-General Eyal Zamir, during which the defense minister spoke with Zamir about the possibility that he would serve as the next chief of staff. We have also learned that messages were conveyed to him that this was an appointment Netanyahu could agree to, and therefore Zamir is a realistic option. We have further learned that the defense minister has recently been preventing the prime minister from meeting with Zamir." Feldstein: "Read it." Feldstein: "There is only one purpose to the publication. To drive a wedge between Herzi and Gallant." Urich: "Understood." Feldstein: "That Gallant is dealing with appointing a chief of staff over Herzi’s head and before Herzi retires, and that this advances Herzi’s retirement. Understand?" Feldstein: "Do you approve the wording?" Urich: "I’m on board."
Translated from HebrewAlready on the morning of October 7, in the midst of the massacre, internal discussions began about how to blend things. Feldstein recommended a statement without a suit and without a tie: ״combat mode״. Topaz answered him: ״Hellooo, you want to teach the blender?״ On the night between October 7 and 8, they met at Feldstein’s home to make plans. And so too on the nights that followed. On the night of October 12, they again sat down for a strategic consultation for the prime minister: ״We’ll sit at my friend’s villa. By the pool. I’m on my way there with the food״.
Translated from HebrewMost striking of all is the special relationship, to put it mildly, between commentator-presenter Yaakov Bardugo and the Prime Minister's Office. This relationship goes far beyond any journalist-source relationship. Urich and Feldstein, together and separately, repeatedly explained to him what he needed to say on air, supposedly in his own name. Bardugo immediately complied.
Translated from HebrewA year ago, an indictment was filed against Yosef Haddad in a road-bullying incident that escalated into Haddad using a weapon. A simple case, in which a verdict could be reached within a few days. You will not be surprised to hear that not even the reading of the indictment has taken place yet. Preliminary motions have not been heard. Hearings are scheduled and then postponed or canceled. Routine.
Translated from HebrewChairwoman of the Israel First party, Sharren Haskel: “I worked to try to create connections. The problem is that there is so, so much ego. I understand the importance of unity, but if this thing does not come together — Israel First will run all the way to the end. We see the momentum…” Politics is like a drug. People can’t manage to quit.
Translated from HebrewKudos to Tzvi Sukkot, who took an issue that was not controversial at all, and on which his *own* party’s position had in fact been accepted by the public—and turned it into a controversial issue. Every time, another idiotic and harmful provocation. There’s no one to talk to, no point in explaining, and nothing to be disappointed about. The mentality of a seven-year-old child.
Translated from HebrewThere is no limit to the spins (unfortunately, my esteemed colleagues are themselves falling for these spins that have simply gotten out of control) surrounding Shin Bet security for Gadi Eisenkot. There is no doubt, as a matter of fact, that under the Shin Bet Law the Shin Bet does not provide security for candidates for prime minister. It is worth and necessary to point out on this occasion that there has been no such thing at all since direct election was abolished. The claim that the Shin Bet should specifically protect Eisenkot is a spin from the land of spins, designed to serve Eisenkot. This spin came directly from Eisenkot's campaign headquarters. It was intended to increase his power and the media discourse around him at the expense of his bloc partners. That is noteworthy in itself: this campaign does clash with Zini and Netanyahu, but its target is Bennett, Lapid, Liberman and Yair Golan. The more people talk about him, and the less about the other partners in the bloc. The goal is to establish publicly that Eisenkot is the leading candidate for prime minister. In this respect, every honest person must admit that this spin is absolutely insane. Should the head of the Shin Bet determine who the leading candidate for the position is? How is he supposed to determine that? Based on a mandate poll? Based on an average of polls? And what happens if another candidate suddenly rises in the polls? And wait, Bennett became prime minister with only 6 mandates. So who said Eisenkot should be protected rather than Liberman? Perhaps Yoaz Hendel, who claims to be the link connecting the two blocs? Perhaps Ofer Winter, who hopes to be the next leading force? Do you understand how crazy a spin this is, and above all how extremely anti-state it is? It is not only that there is no law or procedure like this; the demand to protect Eisenkot is a demand that the Shin Bet determine that he is the leading candidate alongside Netanyahu to be elected prime minister. Of course Bennett, Liberman and Golan cannot oppose this spin even though it is intended to harm them, because they cannot appear to support Zini and Netanyahu. The Eisenkot headquarters campaign is ingenious in its simplicity, but false and reckless. And now a public letter is being issued by former Shin Bet chiefs and former police commissioners with the same stale spin. Even though they state that it has no legal basis and no procedure, and even though they themselves admit that they know of no intelligence or plan to assassinate Eisenkot specifically. A full-blown political spin. This is really not a marginal point: when Gantz ran at the head of the Blue and White party of the chiefs of staff and Lapid, he did not have Shin Bet security. Apart from a stale spin by publicist Avi Benayahu, nobody bought that spin. Because, well, it is a spin. But it does not end here. Recently, Yedioth Ahronoth political correspondent Yuval Karni published an "explicit threat by name and photograph" to kill Eisenkot, linking it to the fact that the Shin Bet does not protect him. But it was a foreign Turkish account whose entire purpose was to impersonate an Israeli account in order to sow discord and division (the "Isend" network). I should note that I find it astonishing that Karni managed to find on his own at all... this very, very obscure post from an account with no followers. As noted, this spin was explicitly started by Eisenkot's headquarters. This is what Karni published a month ago in Yedioth Ahronoth: "The chairman of the Yashar party, Gadi Eisenkot, is emerging as Benjamin Netanyahu's prominent challenger for prime minister, but despite his political standing and the fact that he may receive the mandate to form a government, he is not protected by the Shin Bet's unit for protecting public figures. As a result, ynet learned that Eisenkot's campaign headquarters decided to protect him at crowded events and on field tours." In the article, Karni admitted that there is no procedure stipulating that the Shin Bet should protect someone perceived as a leading candidate for prime minister. But the ace journalist knew how to publish that "according to a source familiar with the details, the reason for the decision to provide Eisenkot with private security is the sharp rise in the number of participants at party events, his status as the polling leader, and the campaign being waged against him." Do you understand how much everything here is a public-relations exercise that has gotten out of control? Fine, they are going after Netanyahu and the ministerial committee. That is part of the dirty political game. I detest it, but it is an ugly game on a completely reciprocal level. The point is that the people who speak in the name of statesmanship are forcibly dragging the Shin Bet and the chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Justice Solberg, into this stale spin and painting them in political colors. A short time earlier, there was another report in Yedioth Ahronoth, this time by Itamar Eichner, with exactly the same message. I especially liked the ending of his article: "Eisenkot's office asked not to comment on the matter, but someone in the country should wake up before it is too late." It is somewhat difficult to find anything more transparent than that.
Translated from HebrewWhat non-ideological interest could a person have in being elected to the Knesset and, miraculously, with 7 mandates, becoming the ruling party with the ability to obtain any position imaginable, only to give all that up to be a junior MK in the opposition with a political future shrouded in fog?
Translated from HebrewI find it difficult to understand Bennett's zeal to keep returning to and discussing events from 5 years ago. In any case, there is an enormous difference between Shikli and Silman. Shikli gave up dozens of positions he could have received in order to be a junior MK in the opposition (and this could have gone on for 4 years, and he was at risk of being declared a defector, after which he would not have been able to run in Likud).
Translated from HebrewFor those asking, these are the details of the proceeding: TA 22577-02-23 Radwan v. State of Israel
Translated from HebrewThe judge rules that the plaintiff, whose illegal ceiling was damaged when the illegal second floor was demolished for the second time (after he returned and rebuilt it following the first demolition), told blatant lies. In a normal country, blatant and deliberate lies by the plaintiff would be grounds for dismissing the lawsuit. It turns out that this is not the case in Israel (although there is authority to do so). And this is before even getting to the insanity of awarding full compensation for the demolition of an illegal ceiling as part of a demolition carried out for the second time because the offender returned and built a second floor in violation of the law and the court order. The Israeli judicial system…
Translated from HebrewDanger by the name of: Fake news The State of Israel received a free lesson in the danger of false rumors. The scenario of a bank collapse following the rumors about the Yahalomi family that spread and were reinforced by police negligence was much closer than it seemed and than was conveyed to the public. The acting director-general of the Elections Committee has been warning the Shin Bet, Mossad, and police for weeks about the concern that hostile foreign actors will try, and even succeed, to sabotage election day. The lesson we learned last week taught us that this scenario is not far-fetched at all, and that we need to prepare for it seriously accordingly. If this had been a test, the police would have received a failing grade. Weekend column, BaSheva newspaper, Shabbat shalom
Translated from Hebrewכיוון שעובד משרד השיכון שמוליק כהן הכחיש, אז פניתי אליו עם הדוגמאות הבאות: ״האם לקחת את בבצ׳יק להרצליה לפני חודשיים לוילה של האדמור מגור? האם לקחת אותו לערד כשהתרחשו המהומות והורדת אותו בכניסה לעיר כדי שלא יראו שאתה זה שהסעת אותו? האם הסעת אותו לחתונה של הבת של נציב שב״ס?״ שמוליק כהן למרבה ההפתעה בחר שלא למסור תגובה…
Translated from Hebrew
Connected stories
- Bennett Says He Knows UAE Warning to Netanyahu Was Genuine
- UAE Leader Warned Netanyahu of Hamas Move Before October 7, Report Says
- Netanyahu Orders Lawyers to File Libel Suit Over UAE Warning Report
- Sara Netanyahu Questions Golan’s Early October 7 Response, Disavows Conspiracy Theories
- Haskel Says Israel First Will Unveil Senior Military Candidates Wednesday
- Shin Bet Declines Security Detail for Eisenkot as Campaign Cites Rising Threats
- Netanyahu Directs Shin Bet to Ensure Adequate Security for Eisenkot
- Likud Dropped Digital Primary Voting After Cyber Warning of Foreign Interference