Israel’s “Qatargate” scandal is deepened with the arrest of Netanyahu aid

Israeli police arrested two advisers close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, while the so -called “Qatargate” scandal deepened in Israel.

Jonathan Urich, Netanyahu’s principal media advisor, and Eli Feldstein, his military spokesperson, were arrested as part of an investigation into the borders of the Israeli Prime Minister and Qatari officials.

The two officials were arrested for suspicion of contact with a foreign agent, money laundering, accepting bribes, fraud and a break in trust.

Netanyahu, who was in court on Monday, testifying in his own corruption and fraud cases, was forced to leave the courtroom to testify in the case involving its confidancies.

In addition to Netanyahu, a journalist, whose name cannot be published, was summoned for interrogation on suspicion of participation in the case. According to Haaretz, police will soon invoke other journalists accused of being involved.

To date, the investigation is under the order of gag, so that many details have not yet been disclosed. But according to reports in Israel, Urich, Feldstein and other suspects have sent messages to journalists on behalf of the Qatari government. The messages would have appeared to have been sent on behalf of the office of the Israeli Prime Minister.

Eran Etzion, a former deputy chief of the National Security Council, told Middle East Eye that it was still too early to determine the seriousness of the case, but “insofar as Urich and Feldstein worked in the Prime Minister’s office and for those responsible for Qatar, they were exposed to classified elements”.

“At the highest legal level, it could be the use of double agents in the Prime Minister’s office, which would be defined as prejudice to state security and betrayal”, two of the most serious accusations of Israel.

‘Qatargate’

The case, nicknamed “Qatargate” by the Israeli media, was exposed for the first time by Haaretz in November.

According to the Israeli newspaper, Urich, a long -standing advisor to Netanyahu, and Srulik Einhorn, another advisor to the Prime Minister, were employed by Qatar before the 2022 World Cup, which the Gulf State welcomed.

Both, thanks to perception, their media consulting firm, would have provided services to the reputation of money laundering of Qatar and to qualify it as a country which aspires to achieve “peace and stability in the world”.

In addition, they worked to promote the country’s public relations in Israel by inviting Israeli journalists to Qatar.

“ For a long time, Netanyahu waged a total war against the system of application of the law ”

– Eran Etzion, former deputy chief of the Israeli National Security Council

In February, Channel 12 news revealed that Netanyahu’s military spokesperson, Feldstein, was also involved in the case.

According to the report, Feldstein was used by a private company funded by Qatar to improve its image in Israel, vis-à-vis its role in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, that Qatar Mediator.

Feldstein has also been arrested in the past suspected of having delivered classified documents relating to Hamas to the Jewish chronicle, a British newspaper, and Bild, the German newspaper.

These briefings were intended to stimulate the image of Netanyahu and aimed to influence Israeli public opinion in relation to its management of the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

It turned out later that the reports published by Bild and The Jewish Chronicle were false. The Jew Chronicle was forced to delete a series of articles from his website, causing a line that led to the resignation of four of his most eminent columnists and to questions posed on the involvement of Robbie GIBB, a non -executive director of the BBC.

Last month, Channel 13 revealed that in the work of Feldstein for Qatar during the war against Gaza, he organized a visit to Qatar by Zvika Klein, chief editor of the Jerusalem Post Journal.

Feldstein, who was not paid by the office of the Israeli Prime Minister when he worked there, would have been employed by Jay Footlik, an American lobbyist who works for the Qatari government.

Netanyahu against the bet tibia

Following the numerous press reports on this subject, the Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the opening of a criminal investigation at the end of last month, following a “security check” carried out by the Shin Bet, the internal security agency of Israel.

Regarding Netanyahu, Etzion said: “If he knew the use of his aid by Qatar, he is in (a) a bad situation, and if he did not do it, then his situation is no less serious.”

“Netanyahu has her back on the wall. He is desperate, dangerous and without restraint ‘

– Eran Etzion

“For a long time, Netanyahu conducts a total war against the law application system. Now, law enforcement organizations are weakened,” said Etzion. “If, in the past, such accusations would have led to the resignation of the Prime Minister, this is not the case today.”

“It is difficult to estimate to what extent the law enforcement agencies will succeed or will make the effort to make Netanyahu’s mandate as an untenable Prime Minister.”

Netanyahu categorically rejected the accusations against her advisers. A declaration published by his party, Likud, described the investigation “A new hollow in political hunting to bring down a right -wing Prime Minister and prevent the rejection of the defaulting chijotage leader”.

“It is not an investigation, it is not the police. It is an attempt to assassinate democracy and an attempt to replace the will of the people by the rule of bureaucrats,” Likud’s statement continued.

Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced his intention to dismiss the chief of Shin Bet, Ronen Bar, in what is perceived in Israel as an attempt to thwart the pursuit of the intelligence agency on the case.

The dismissal of the chief of the Shin was frozen by the Supreme Court pending a hearing at the beginning of next month.

Since the “Qatargate” affair was revealed, Netanyahu has promoted messages like those of his close ally, US President Donald Trump, how “the deep state” is involved in the management of the country.

In a recent Tiktok video, Netanyahu said that the deep state “of the left” wanted “the government and the government to be a flowerpot”.

Yesterday, Netanyahu published a video in which he said he was “surprised, I mean, I understood that there was a political investigation here, but I did not know to what extent. They hold Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein hostage”.

Netanyahu’s response aroused criticism in Israel, including families from those captivated by Hamas, considering its use of the word “hostage” in reference to its advisers.

“Netanyahu does not have the absolute support of all the members of the coalition in this case,” Etzion told Mee. Avi Dichter, Minister of Agriculture and former head of Shin Bet, said the scandal was serious and must be investigated.

“Netanyahu has a back on the wall,” said Etzion. “He is desperate, dangerous and without restraint. All his consideration system is based on this.”

Netanyahu will not hesitate to “carry out military movements in order to withdraw the case from the public agenda,” Etzion told me.