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About
Nir Hefetz is an Israeli former investigative journalist, political advisor, and spokesman, best known for his close association with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Born in Jerusalem in 1965, he built a reputation in journalism during the 1990s and 2000s, working as a reporter and anchor for Channel 10 News, specializing in investigative reporting on political scandals, corruption, and security issues, and authoring books on Israeli politics and media. His career shifted dramatically in 2017 when he left journalism to join Netanyahu's office as spokesman and advisor, serving as chief of communications (2017–2018) and communications director, managing media relations and crisis communications amid Netanyahu's mounting legal challenges. His tenure ended abruptly in December 2018 when he was arrested by Israeli police as part of 'Case 4000,' one of the investigations into Netanyahu's alleged bribery and fraud involving favorable regulatory decisions for the Bezeq telecom company in exchange for positive coverage on its Walla news site. Initially denying involvement, Hefetz negotiated a plea deal and became a pivotal state's witness in Netanyahu's corruption trials, providing detailed testimony, recordings, and documents against Netanyahu, his wife Sara, and other aides. This decision made him a polarizing figure: hailed by anti-corruption advocates for transparency but vilified by Netanyahu's supporters as disloyal. Post-trial involvement, Hefetz has maintained a low profile, occasionally commenting on media ethics and politics.