Yaron Avraham
@yaronavraham · Israeli journalists — political, diplomatic, legal
Yaron Avraham is an Israeli journalist.
The reasons for the forced resentment over Yonatan Shalev's high placement, in descending order: 1. Envy 2. Envy 3. Envy 4. Envy 5. Envy I don't know Yonatan and I have no idea whether he will be a good parliamentarian. One thing I do know: a 24-year-old with no experience is preferable to a 60-year-old with bad experience. The crap he's taking here just because he tried to dare – it's frustrating. I suggest we criticize him harshly for what he will or won't do – and not for what he hasn't yet had the chance to do.
Translated from HebrewFirst report in the edition | In recent days, the police raised Gadi Eisenkot’s threat level to level 4, a high threat level according to which Eisenkot faces a targeted risk (even if there is no immediate danger to his life). The police commissioner recommended in a written opinion to the advisory committee that Eisenkot be given immediate armed protection. This, alongside additional reasons, lies behind the advisory committee’s decision to recommend to the ministerial committee that Eisenkot receive protection, despite Zini’s position that such protection is unnecessary in the absence of intelligence material supporting it and because he is not a symbol of government. First report in the edition | In recent days, the police raised Gadi Eisenkot’s threat level to level 4, a high threat level according to which Eisenkot faces a targeted risk (even if there is no immediate danger to his life). The police commissioner recommended in a written opinion to the advisory committee that Eisenkot be given immediate armed protection. This, alongside additional reasons, lies behind the advisory committee’s decision to recommend to the ministerial committee that Eisenkot receive protection, despite Zini’s position that such protection is unnecessary in the absence of intelligence material supporting it and because he is not a symbol of government.
Translated from HebrewExclusive on Friday Studio | How did Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar's secret channel with a senior Hamas official operate during the war? Don't miss the details. This evening we are publishing for the first time new details about the secret channel that Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar managed with Hamas, with the knowledge and approval of the prime minister, with Hamas abroad, in order to achieve a breakthrough in contacts to release hostages. A channel that today it is possible not only to tell you about, but also to tell you what it did. * This channel was first created after the murder of the six hostages in a tunnel in Tel al-Sultan in Rafah, in August 2024. * Frustration among the professional ranks was great, and the understanding was that more avenues had to be created, beyond the official channels led by Qatar. * The channel was managed by a senior Shin Bet official, on Ronen Bar's behalf, with Ghazi Hamad, a senior member of Hamas's leadership abroad. * The prime minister gave approval for the talks on Israel's side, while on the other side senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya, Sinwar's deputy, gave approval on Hamas's side. * The contacts took place in telephone calls and not in-person meetings. * There were dozens of calls, during the day and night, led by that senior official, with the head of the service also on the line. A senior official familiar with the details of the contacts tells us: "These were conversations in which the mines were cleared. Often they were conducted amid loud shouting. We argued over names, made clear which terrorists were a red line. Through these conversations we were able to bypass Qatar's foot-dragging, which failed to deliver and became an obstructive factor." This direct channel with Hamas, with Netanyahu's knowledge and approval, ultimately led to the breakthrough that led to the release of the hostages. A senior security official who was privy to the matter tells us this evening: "Witkoff brought Netanyahu, we brought Hamas." A final note: It is almost impossible to believe this scene - a conversation with the head of Israel's Shin Bet at one end of the line, with the full approval of Israel's prime minister Netanyahu, and at the other end of the line unmistakable assassination targets, Ghazi Hamad and behind him Khalil al-Hayya - targets for immediate assassination, including one who later miraculously survived the assassination attempt in Qatar. If I may offer my personal opinion: Before making this political - we all said that to bring the hostages back, we must turn over every stone. In this case - it is not a stone, it is a chunk of rock.
Translated from HebrewFormer Prime Minister Naftali Bennett says in a status report with @GaliliEinav and me about Eisenkot’s statement regarding a Zionist minority government of 57–58 Knesset members: "I oppose the obsession with focusing on a minority government. What is this defeatism?" Nevertheless, he evaded the question of what will happen if the bloc does not have 61.
Translated from HebrewRevelation in the evening edition | Netanyahu approved Ronen Bar having direct contact with Hamas—and why is the censor allowing this to be published tonight? Hear this story. Astonishingly and surprisingly, the censor itself initiated contact with me today and offered me the chance to resubmit a report I filed in April 2025, a report that was rejected then and is now permitted for publication by the censor, according to which Ronen Bar held direct talks with Hamas, rather than through intermediaries, to free the hostages. The interpretation shortly, but first the report itself: Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar admitted to the cabinet in 2025 that he was in direct contact with Hamas abroad, and stressed that this was an event approved by the prime minister. Bar said that Hamas abroad was the party that advanced the negotiations over the hostages in the past, and that this was a significant and important channel. Bar wondered why Netanyahu was moving him off the team negotiating the hostages' release when he was the one who brought about and established this contact. The report was banned from publication then, and is suddenly permitted for publication today. Now the interpretation: On the one hand, it is good that the censor permits publication of details that, in its view, suddenly do not harm state security. On the other hand, is it surprising that we are allowed to say that Ronen Bar held talks with Hamas members on precisely the day Ben Caspit publishes that Netanyahu held talks with Hamas through his associate Shlomi Fogel? Someone here is taking the trouble to tell us: if it was already possible to speak with Hamas after October 7, it certainly must have been possible to speak with Hamas before October 7. And why does the censor permit publication on this particular day? Is this its independent judgment, or did someone call and initiate it? We have no positive information, only a thought that I find disturbing.
Translated from HebrewExclusive | Netanyahu approved Ronen Bar’s direct contact with Hamas abroad - and not through mediators. What happened there and why are we allowed to publish this today? Join the edition now
Translated from HebrewFirst report in the edition | Spyware found on the phones of 2 senior employees at Eisenkot headquarters. In recent weeks, daily checks have been conducted at Eisenkot headquarters on the phones of a group of people, headquarters employees, including the most senior ones. These checks include scanning the phones to locate malware. As we understand it, in two separate cases, such software was found on the phones of headquarters personnel, two senior officials who are not Eisenkot himself. These programs are designed to eavesdrop and collect information, but despite this, the headquarters did not file a complaint with the police and settled for working daily with a security company that scans the phones of the headquarters’ senior employees. Other security measures were also taken to protect computers. Eisenkot headquarters confirmed the details.
Translated from HebrewYaara Zard knows the truth. Channel 12 did not lead a campaign against providing security for members of the Netanyahu family. Quite the opposite: Channel 12 believes there is a dramatic need to protect the Netanyahu family at a time when the Iranians are threatening to harm them, as well as other senior Israeli officials. But Channel 12 also thought what every Israeli who has no constant urge to lick Netanyahu and his circle thinks—namely, that there is no need to lock in security for his family from now until Netanyahu’s dying day. The Shin Bet professionals thought so too. Zini thought so as well, before he got a call from the potential protectee. But the propagandist didn’t tell her viewers that. Of course, why would she?
Translated from HebrewOfer Winter put on the most colorful and interesting election event so far this evening, there is absolutely no doubt about it. The centrist parties launched so far look faded and have the potential to wither away. It is not only the interesting new list but also the packaging. How will this show up in the upcoming poll, and will it gain momentum? 2026 elections — now we have really begun
Translated from HebrewExclusive in the broadcast | The closed-door discussion on Judea and Samaria and the commander’s warning: nationalist crime — a match that could set everything ablaze, and also: What did the chief of staff answer when asked to present a plan in case of escalation?
Translated from HebrewNews 12 exclusive – additional details in this evening's edition | An official in Unit 730 contacted Eisenkot's aides and told them: I am your contact person; call if there is a problem. This call comes after we revealed last night that, in a conversation between the offices as early as last Wednesday, Eisenkot was told that he would not receive security, but that the Shin Bet would provide him with a contact person and assist with intelligence as needed. In addition, Eisenkot was promised that his current bodyguards would be able to carry weapons, although there is no written and final decision on the matter – and at present – his bodyguards are still unarmed.
Translated from HebrewN12 Exclusive | **Statement by the Shin Bet chief** In response to reporters' inquiries on the matter, it should be emphasized that the decision not to provide security for Mr. Eisenkot was made by the Shin Bet chief, and he bears sole responsibility for this matter. As stated, before making a decision on the matter, the head of the service held a series of consultations with professional officials, including Justice Sohlberg. The Shin Bet and the Central Elections Committee are working in full coordination and cooperation, and the Central Elections Committee's statement on the matter is correct and faithfully reflects the facts.
Translated from HebrewThe Central Elections Committee rejects the claims that Judge Sohlberg was the one who did not approve Eisenkot's security. Their statement is crystal clear. You be the judge: "The head of the Shin Bet, on his own initiative, approached the chairman of the Central Elections Committee and informed him that he had received inquiries from the surroundings of the head of the Yashar party regarding his security. In response to the chairman of the Elections Committee's question, the head of the Shin Bet replied that there was no intelligence information or warnings of an intention to harm the head of the Yashar party. The head of the Shin Bet, who is the professional authority on this matter, added that there was no apparent reason to convene the ministerial committee for Shin Bet affairs on the matter. The chairman of the Elections Committee asked that if there were any warnings of any intention to harm the head of the Yashar party, the head of the Shin Bet inform the chairman of the Elections Committee. The chairman of the Elections Committee did not make a decision on the matter, and is not the authorized body to decide it. In accordance with Section 7(a)(2) of the General Security Service Law, the Shin Bet provides security for public figures designated by the government."
Translated from HebrewFirst publication in the weekend edition | Zini decided: For now, Shin Bet security will not be provided to Eisenkot, and the letter from his aides to the Shin Bet chief and the police commissioner: The threats against him are increasing, the responsibility lies with you and the government. This is a story we have been following for several weeks, and this evening we can report for the first time that Shin Bet chief David Zini decided not to provide security to the chairman of Yashar and former IDF chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot, despite the repeated requests from his aides, who claim that the level of risk to him has risen, despite the heated election campaign and despite the threats from Iran against senior Israeli officials. Zini's aides sent Eisenkot's headquarters a response this week, saying that they would provide a Shin Bet liaison and intelligence assistance before specific events, but would not provide a security detail for Eisenkot. After this response arrived, Eisenkot's headquarters decided to put it in black and white to the parties involved, including the attorney general, and warn of the dangers of this decision. Here is the letter, which we are also publishing for the first time this evening, and which says: "The atmosphere on Israeli streets, as well as on social media, is becoming increasingly heated, and threats are surfacing and multiplying. To the best of our understanding, the private security assigned to Lt. Gen. (res.) Eisenkot is insufficient, and the physical threat against him is growing every day.. You bear responsibility for placing close protection on Eisenkot immediately. This appeal to you is made without diminishing the obligation of the Government of Israel, the Ministerial Committee for Shin Bet Affairs, and the Advisory Committee for Security Affairs and its chair, who are failing to meet their personal responsibility for political and extraneous reasons and are refraining from fulfilling their role".
Translated from HebrewSo... who really opposed entering Rafah? Pay attention to the story @yoavgallant tells on “Situation Report” with @GaliliEinav and me, which exposes Netanyahu’s method: hit the chief of staff with all your might through your ministers, even though the problem actually lies with the source that was forbidden from being published
Translated from HebrewA personal note: Yanir, my good friend @yanircozin , I am happy, not to say overjoyed, for you, for Galei Tzahal, and for the free media in Israel. Thanks also to the public committee that did everything to help the judges. Special thanks to you, Yiftah Ron-Tal, and to you too, Sara Haetzni. Oh, thanks to you too, Elad Malka, for not hiding your “affection” for the station. Thanks to all three of you for seeing no problem with the inherent conflict of interest in which you found yourselves. The High Court crushed your dark decision. Dark would be one thing, but as the judges aptly described, it was also done foolishly and without sophistication.
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