Netanyahu's aides fed the PM information about hostages 'so it would look like he cares', and sowed discord between the Defense Minister and the Chief of Staff
Correspondence between Urich, Feldstein, and Topaz Luk reveals how, as early as the morning of October 7, the PM's circle was managing his public image: 'No suit, combat mode.' Later, they discussed how to prepare him for meetings with hostage families to appear 'interested,' attempted to sow discord between Yoav Gallant and Herzi Halevi to force the Chief of Staff's resignation, and dictated talking points to commentator Yaakov Bardugo.
'Creating reality, manipulator number one': Correspondence between senior officials in the office of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reveals how the media mechanism in his circle operated during the war — from the first hours of the October 7 massacre, through the struggles at the top of the security establishment, and up to the messages transmitted in real-time to commentator and host Yaakov Bardugo. The correspondence between Netanyahu's advisors — Yonatan Urich, Eli Feldstein, and Topaz Luk — was exposed on Wednesday on i24NEWS.
One of the first exchanges is dated October 7 itself. At 11:37, hours after the start of the Hamas attack, Feldstein suggested to Topaz Luk how Netanyahu should appear in public: 'No suit and no tie. Combat mode.' Luk replied: 'Hello, do you want to teach the blender?'. According to the exposure, the advisors repeatedly used expressions concerning 'manipulation' and creating a media narrative.
Cynicism regarding hostage families
The cynicism is especially evident in a correspondence from November 2023, ahead of a war cabinet meeting with hostage families. Urich asked Feldstein for ideas, and Feldstein suggested feeding Netanyahu in advance with personal details about some of the families, including information about relatives who were murdered. The goal was to 'show that he cares, that he knows and is interested,' so that Netanyahu could pull out the details during the conversation instead of hearing them for the first time from the families.
Attempts to drive a wedge in the security establishment
The correspondence also reveals a deliberate attempt to create a rift between then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and then-Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi. In June 2024, Feldstein drafted a query for a journalist, alleging that Gallant had spoken with then-Director General of the Ministry of Defense Eyal Zamir about the possibility of him serving as the next Chief of Staff. Feldstein explicitly explained the goal: 'To drive a wedge between Herzi and Gallant,' intending to make Halevi believe that Gallant was dealing with his replacement 'over his head' to promote the Chief of Staff's resignation.
Real-time media control
A central part of the correspondence deals with the relationship between Netanyahu's office staff and Yaakov Bardugo. The exchanges show that it was not just about passing briefings, but about drafting detailed messages sent to him in real-time for on-air presentation. On May 8, 2024, the day Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi informed Brigadier General Ofer Winter about the end of his service, Urich asked Feldstein: 'What should Bardugo say about Winter?'. After they drafted a message attacking Halevi, Feldstein updated: 'I sent Bardugo everything.'
