Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is expected to sign an order extending the classification period for top-secret documents from 70 years to 90 years, Haaretz reports.
The move comes after Israeli security agencies lobbied the prime minister out of fears revelations from the documents could harm security interests, according to the report.
The first documents of the most secretive nature are set to be released this year, 70 years after the country’s founding. Less secretive documents are generally released after 15 to 30 years.
Some of the info that will now not be released includes documents about secret military programs currently in the hands of the Shin Bet and the Mossad, according to the report.
Of particular interest to historians is information on Deir Yassin, where Israeli soldiers are alleged to have massacred Palestinian villagers in 1948. If Netanyahu signs the order, documents pertaining to military operations in the Jerusalem area village would remain sealed until 2038.
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From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
