The hard questions raised by Eran Kamin's testimony in the Netanyahu trial

Retired Deputy Commissioner Eran Kamin testified that he initiated a meeting with journalist Ben Caspit to clarify information about the Netanyahu family, without involving authorized intelligence collection units and without obtaining the Attorney General's approval. The article, written by a retired police officer, raises questions about the authority to collect intelligence, the legality of using a journalist as a source, and whether an investigative procedure was opened against the Prime Minister without the required legal authorization.

Retired Deputy Commissioner Eran Kamin testified in the Netanyahu trial that he initiated a meeting with journalist Ben Caspit at a café in Givatayim on November 29, 2015, to clarify intelligence information concerning the Netanyahu family. Kamin said he did not want his intelligence officers to know about the contact. The article, written by a retired police officer, analyzes the testimony from a professional and legal perspective. The author argues that Kamin acted in violation of police orders prohibiting an unauthorized officer from engaging in intelligence collection, and that using a journalist as a source is prohibited due to conflicts of interest. The central legal question is whether an intelligence and investigative procedure was opened against the Prime Minister without the approval of the Attorney General, as required by the Basic Law on the Government. Kamin testified that he did not receive such approval, and that in his opinion the obligation applies only at the stage of investigation as a suspect, not at the preliminary examination stage. The author emphasizes that intelligence collection is an integral part of the investigation and cannot be separated from it.