The watchdog group Ad Kan, which tracks the activity of leftists NGOs that target the Israel Defense Forces, plans to petition the High Court of Justice in the next few days and ask that the court instruct the attorney general to launch an investigation against the NGO Breaking the Silence and the foreign nations that fund it. The petitioners suspect Breaking the Silence of collecting sensitive military intelligence that, if made public, could put national security at risk.
Ad Kan decided to seek an investigation into Breaking the Silence after its researchers reported that the NGO's project of "collecting testimonies" from IDF combatants went beyond testimonies pertaining to alleged human rights violations and included the collection of classified military information.
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Ad Kan is also alleging that Breaking the Silence is in close contact with foreign governments and has signed contracts with a number of European governments to supply them with information about IDF activity in exchange for funding.
Despite these reports, Attorney General Avichai Mendelblit decided to support the decision by the State Attorney's Office not to open an investigation because the matter was deemed "irrelevant to the public interest."
Now, the petitioners are pressing for an investigation. Ad Kan is filing the petition on behalf of a group of senior IDF commanders, including Maj. Gen. (res.) Gershon Hacohen; Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi; and members of the forum "HaBithonistim" who support an investigation into the allegations that Breaking the Silence is collecting classified military intel.
Ad Kan Director Gilad Ach said, "We are talking about security information, some classified, that raises questions about the State Attorney's Office's motivation to keep soldiers safe and back them up against organizations such as [Breaking the Silence and others]. "
Breaking the Silence, when approached for a comment, dismissed the claims from Ad Kan as "delusional."
