Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu filed a police complaint today (Friday) against former Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman.
In the complaint, the prime minister claims that Argaman is trying to blackmail him, while operating using the methods of a criminal organization. This comes after Argaman said in an interview with Channel 12 that "if I come to the conclusion that the prime minister has decided that he is acting against the law" - he will publish information to which he was exposed while serving as head of the Shin Bet.
In the complaint forwarded to Police Commissioner Danny Levy, Netanyahu wrote, among other things: "This appeal to you is a demand to open an investigation after all the red lines were crossed this evening when former head of the General Security Service, Nadav Argaman, chose to threaten and blackmail a sitting prime minister with threats, using methods and forms common to criminal organizations, as if the head of Israel's intelligence service were a mafia member, using practices from the underworld and completely crossing the lines.".
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After the remarks were made last night, Netanyahu publicly accused Argaman and the current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar of attempted blackmail. "Tonight, another dangerous red line was crossed for Israeli democracy. Never, in the entire history of Israel and in the history of democracies, has the former head of the secret organization carried out blackmail with threats on live broadcast against a sitting prime minister. This crime joins a whole campaign of blackmail with threats through media briefings in recent days, conducted by the current Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar.".
He added: "The only goal is to try to prevent me from making the decisions necessary to rebuild the Shin Bet after its devastating failure on October 7.".
The Prime Minister emphasized: "Let it be clear - the mafia-style criminal threats will not deter me. I will do what is necessary to ensure the security of the citizens of Israel.".
