Israel's foreign intelligence service (Mossad) on Sunday denied US press reports that it was involved in encouraging demonstrations against the "reform of the judiciary" plan adopted by the right-wing government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Hours earlier, The Washington Post and The New York Times reported that among the classified documents recently leaked from the Pentagon was an intelligence document saying senior Mossad officials encouraged service employees and citizens of Israel to participate in anti-government protests.
Netanyahu's office, in a statement on behalf of the Mossad, denied the reports, saying that "everything that was published last night in the American press is completely false and baseless," according to the Kan channel of the official Israeli Broadcasting Corporation.
"The Mossad and its officials did not encourage or encourage the agency's employees to demonstrate against the government, political demonstrations in general or any political activity," he said.
The statement also said that the Mossad and its current officials "never dealt with" the issue of the demonstrations, and the Israeli Prime Minister's Office asserted that they "remained faithful to the values of the state that have guided the apparatus since its establishment" on December 13, 1949.
On Saturday evening, Israeli cities witnessed protests for the 14th consecutive week against the government's plan to reform the judiciary, despite Netanyahu's announcement of its suspension.
The opposition's leaders, most notably former Prime Minister Yair Lapid, say that the plan in its current form marks the "end of democracy" and the beginning of a "dictatorial era" in Israel, calling it an "authoritarian coup," while Netanyahu asserts that his plan aims to restore the balance between the powers (judicial, executive and legislative).
The controversial plan limits the powers of the Supreme Court (the highest judicial body) and gives the government coalition control over the Commission for the Appointment of Judges.
Under the weight of strikes and mass demonstrations, Netanyahu announced in late March that his plan would be suspended until the summer session of the Knesset (parliament), which begins on April 30 and lasts 3 months, until a dialogue with the opposition, but said he would not abandon it.
Immediately after his plan was suspended, President Isaac Herzog announced that he would begin hosting dialogue sessions between coalition and opposition parties to bring views closer, while Israeli organizations leading the protest announced that the demonstration would continue, questioning Netanyahu's intention.