‘Ashkenazi, Harpaz together sought to smear Barak’

Former IDF chief of staff Lt.Gen. (res.) Gabi Ashkenazi worked together with Boaz Harpaz, who allegedly forged the so-called Harpaz Document, to gather dirt on Defense Minister Ehud Barak and several of his close associates, according to Channel 2’s investigative news show Uvda.

The revelations come as State Comptroller Micha Lindenstrauss nears the end of his investigation into the affair. According to the report, Ashkenazi was questioned by police on three different occasions.

The Harpaz Document was leaked to the press in 2010 and was forged to look like a roadmap for getting former OC Southern Command Maj.-gen. (res.) Yoav Galant appointed as chief of staff. Galant was appointed, but later lost the post due to a land scandal regarding his home in Moshav Amikam.

When Harpaz was first identified as the person who allegedly forged the document, Ashkenazi denied he had a prior relationship with the former Military Intelligence lieutenant-colonel. Uvda, however, revealed transcripts from Ashkenazi and Harpaz’s police interrogations that appear to show the two worked closely together in gathering information on Barak and close associates.

In addition, according to the show, Harpaz also met numerous times with Ashkenazi’s wife, Ronit, at a coffee shop near Ra’anana, where they discussed ways to get Barak to extend Ashkenazi’s term as chief of staff by a year. Harpaz was also reportedly in close contact with Ashkenazi’s senior assistant, Col. Erez Weiner.

According to Uvda, Ashkenazi thought the Harpaz Document was authentic and that Harpaz was in possession of reliable inside information regarding the goings-on within Barak’s office. When police told him Harpaz had forged the document, Ashkenazi responded: “That can’t be.”