Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of The Jerusalem Post, has broken his silence following the shocking revelation that he is a suspect in the Qatargate affair. Reflecting on the turn of events, Klein expressed disbelief over what he has endured. “This week, I was arrested,” he recounts in a personal column. “I was placed under house arrest. In an instant, I went from a public servant to a suspect. Not even in my worst nightmares could I have imagined this.”
Klein referenced a high-profile interview he conducted with Qatar’s prime minister last year, emphasizing that the story was openly shared in the pages of The Jerusalem Post. “Nothing was hidden. Everything was done with full transparency and at the highest journalistic standards,” he explains, defending both the integrity and openness of the reporting process.
He insisted that there was no quid pro quo involved in the interview or any of his reporting about Qatar. “I received nothing in return. No benefits, no payment, no promises. I came back to Israel, and apparently one fact puzzled the police: I got nothing in return,” he writes, asserting that the authorities were suspicious specifically because he had not profited from the interaction.
Initially, Klein agreed to cooperate with investigators and share his perspective, but the situation quickly spiraled. He describes a sudden and jarring experience in which his phone was confiscated, his communication with loved ones was cut off, and he was banned from speaking out. “But then everything turned upside down,” he explains, painting a picture of confusion and isolation.
In his column, Klein laments the toll this ordeal has taken on his reputation. “My good name was damaged, even before the truth could come out,” he says. Still, he remains committed to eventually telling his full story. “The time will come when the full story can be told. But it was important for me to speak to you – the readers – now, and say: I am here. We are here.”
{Matzav.com}