Uri Blau

Uri Blau ( , born 1977) is an Israeli writer and journalist and currently an investigative reporter for the Haaretz newspaper, specializing in military affairs.¹ In November 2008, Blau published a story in Haaretz saying that the targeted killing of one of two Islamic Jihad militants killed in Jenin in June 2007 had violated a prior ruling of the Supreme Court of Israel . The ruling had "heavily restricted the circumstances in which they were permissible, effectively saying that killing should not take place if arrest was possible." Surprisingly, the IDF military censor approved this report despite the fact that it reproduced two top secret IDF memos indicating that the IDF had ignored the Supreme Court ruling and likely misspoke when it claimed the Palestinian militants had been armed when killed. However, a week before Operation Cast Lead began (December 2008), Blau submitted to the censor an expose revealing he had possession of IDF military plans for the Operation. At first, the report was approved for publication. Then, just before it was distributed the censor changed its mind and Haaretz agreed to withdraw the story. Speculation began immediately about who Blau's inside source was. It took a year before attention focussed on Anat Kamm , a clerk in the office of a senior IDF commander, who had worked as a journalist before her army service. In the year, leading up to Kamm's arrest, Blau also published another article against Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Gaby Ashkenazi. The reporter claimed that Barak, on becoming minister, had not closed his private consulting company as he promised. In fact, the company, which he gave to his daughter, took in nearly $2-million from unknown sources after he entered the government. Blau also claimed that after leaving the army and joining the private sector, Ashkenazi approached Barak about entering into business with him. In September 2009, the Shin Bet negotiated a written agreement with Blau to hand over 50 classified documents and destroy his work computer. In return the IDF agreed not to pursue or prosecute his source. In December 2009, the Shin Bet secretly arrested Anat Kamm and began interrogating her. Eventually, she was accused of leaking as many as 2,000 documents to the reporter. Blau and Haaretz viewed the soldier's arrest as a violation of their agreement. Blau, who had left Israel on an Asian backpacking trip that same month of Kamm's arrest, decided to remain abroad pending resolution of the case and eventually ended up in London. The Shin Bet has made no bones about the fact that they want to question and perhaps prosecute him. He claims journalistic privilege and refuses to return until he has guarantees about the outcome of his case. Some view him as little better than a traitor out to harm the national security. A group of 12 senior Israeli journalists petitioned the government not to prosecute Blau if he returns from London and gives back any outstanding documents he may still possess. Negotiations for his return continue. The Independent , 2 April 2010, Journalist on the run from Israel is hiding in Britain Uri Blau, Haaretz 15 October 2009, Ehud Barak & Co.²