Channel 10 claims Uzi Arad was source of PMO leak

Report says Justice Ministry, Shin Bet fingered Arad as unintentional leaker of sensitive information, leading to his ultimate resignation.

By HERB KEINON
Arad 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post))
Arad 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski/The Jerusalem Post))
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's former national security advisor Uzi Arad was forced to resign because he leaked - although inadvertently - classified information to a journalist, according to a Channel 10 report on Tuesday.
Netanyahu, furious at the leak last July, directed the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) to investigate and find the source. Some six months ago the Attorney General's Office pointed to Arad as the official responsible. According to the Channel 10 report, the leak was unintentional and came as a side comment during a background briefing with a journalist.
RELATED:A salute to Uzi AradUzi Arad uses farewell party as platform to bash Ehud Barak
Arad announced his retirement in March, saying he wanted to return to academia. Netanyahu tried to appoint him ambassador to the London, but that was blocked by Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Arad travelled to Washington in recent days with his successor, Yaakov Amidror, to complete a hand-over of responsibilities.
The PMO issued a statement saying it did not address internal investigations, even when what was being reported was incorrect and full of inaccuracies. The statement said that Arad asked to leave his post after serving in it for two years, and that Netanyahu accepted his resignation and appreciated Arad's  contribution to the country's security.