Israel’s spy agency Mossad encouraged its staff and the general public to take part in massive protests against a judicial reform plan proposed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, leaked papers from the Pentagon have reportedly revealed, The Palestine Chronicle reports.
The memo did not contain the names of the Mossad leaders who allegedly made those calls, or any other details, according to the report.
On Sunday, Netanyahu’s office released a statement on behalf of Mossad, rejecting the reports and slamming the assessment as “mendacious and without any foundation whatsoever,” the report noted.
In its article the New York Times claimed, citing an unnamed defense official, that Mossad chief David Barnea did allow some of the agency’s junior staff to participate in protests, but only in an unofficial capacity, the report said.
Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking to the streets across Israel since January, after Netanyahu proposed legal changes that would allow parliament to override Supreme Court rulings by a simple majority, grant the government more power in appointing judges, and limit the ability of the top court to review legislation it deems “unreasonable.”
In late March, The Palestine Chronicle recalled, Netanyahu also fired defense minister Yoav Gallant for publicly challenging the overhaul. Gallant warned that the rift it caused in society was affecting the Israel military, and becoming “clear and immediate and tangible danger to the security of the state.”
A few days later, Netanyahu gave in to the pressure and suspended the reform, saying that a few weeks would be required to negotiate changes with the opposition, the report added.