On Monday, police detained Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, key figures in Israeli Prime Minister Bibi Netanyahu’s inner circle, as part of the ongoing investigation into the Qatargate scandal. This arrest came shortly after the attorney general instructed the police to summon Netanyahu for questioning in connection with the case.
In the morning, Netanyahu left his criminal trial for corruption charges at the Tel Aviv District Court to testify before Israel Police’s Lahav 433 major crimes unit about allegations concerning illegal financial links between his top aides and Qatar. He then returned to Yerushalayim, where he was expected to provide testimony later that afternoon at the Prime Minister’s Office.
Channel 12 news reported that Netanyahu would be giving his testimony as a knowledgeable individual rather than as a suspect. The decision to question Netanyahu as a formal suspect would be made following his initial testimony.
In a short statement to the media, the police confirmed that Urich and Feldstein had been detained as part of the investigation into the scandal.
Meanwhile, Netanyahu’s attorney, Amit Hadad, who also represents Urich and Feldstein, left Netanyahu’s side at the Tel Aviv courthouse in the morning to assist his other clients.
The investigation emerged after it was revealed that Feldstein, who once served as Netanyahu’s spokesperson and is facing charges related to the leaking of classified military documents, was allegedly working for Qatar. Through a foreign company hired by Doha, Feldstein is accused of promoting pro-Qatar stories to Israeli journalists while still employed in the Prime Minister’s Office.
This probe, ordered by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara in late February, is being led by Lahav 433 and Shin Bet operatives.
The police also summoned a journalist for questioning on Monday, and it later emerged that the questioning had escalated to a formal investigation. Hebrew media outlets suggested that the reporter is suspected of having had contact with a foreign agent, though the authorities have not released an official statement regarding the matter.
A source within the police told Haaretz that they had secured the necessary permission from the State Attorney’s Office to question the journalist, as required when interrogating members of the press.
Earlier in March, both Feldstein and Urich had been questioned on suspicion of involvement with foreign agents, as well as charges related to fraud, money laundering, and bribery. Due to a court-imposed gag order, no further information has been made public regarding these developments.
The investigation is particularly focused on alleged payments from Qatar to individuals in Netanyahu’s inner circle, spanning from May 2022 through October 2024. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who is currently facing dismissal by Netanyahu, has overseen the investigation.
Opposition leaders have accused Netanyahu of attempting to block the Qatar-related probe, while Bar has claimed that his removal is part of an effort to obstruct Shin Bet’s inquiries.
Netanyahu has dismissed the investigations as a “witch hunt,” with both Urich and Feldstein denying any wrongdoing.
Reports last November indicated that Urich and Yisrael Einhorn, two of Netanyahu’s senior aides, had engaged in public relations work for Qatar in the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup. This work was conducted through the PR firm Perception, coinciding with the timeline of the ongoing investigation.
Law enforcement has attempted to question Einhorn, who currently resides in Serbia as an adviser to the President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić. However, their efforts have been complicated by Einhorn’s location abroad.
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