How Yoav Segalovitch tried to thwart an article against a left-wing candidate

Political commentator Yaakov Bardugo revealed that Yoav Segalovitch, then head of the Israel Police Investigations Division, reached out to Matti Tuchfeld, who was a political correspondent for Israel Hayom at the time (now head of the political desk at C14). The contact occurred as Tuchfeld prepared to publish a report on a complaint filed against Shelly Yachimovich regarding corruption in her election headquarters during the Labor Party primaries. The reporter had verified with the police that a complaint had indeed been filed and was under investigation.

However, before the story went to print, he received an unexpected direct phone call from Segalovitch. Tuchfeld recounted:

"I receive a call from a person I have never spoken to, with whom I had no connection, who also happened to be the head of the police investigations division. And he calls me. Yoav Segalovitch. Head of the investigations division."

According to Tuchfeld, Segalovitch attempted to persuade him to downplay the story: "He told me: 'It's true there is an investigation, a complaint was filed, so we have to check. But I'm telling you, between us, it's not such a story, and don't make me a front-page headline out of it tomorrow.'"

Tuchfeld expressed shock that a high-ranking police officer would interfere with media coverage. Despite the pressure, the story was published as planned after Tuchfeld informed the then-editor of Israel Hayom, Amos Regev, about the conversation.

Bardugo: "Open all investigation files"

Yaakov Bardugo presented Tuchfeld's testimony as evidence of the politicized nature of decision-making during Segalovitch's tenure at the head of the investigations division.

"Yoav Segalovitch deserves to have his decisions examined during his time as head of the investigations division, and even as Deputy Minister of Public Security. His decisions are political," said Bardugo.

He called on right-wing figures who were investigated during that period to demand a re-examination of their cases, suggesting that Segalovitch's political preferences were a significant factor in his professional conduct.