Benjamin Netanyahu (screenshot)
The scandal around Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu known as “Qatargate” is heating up. Around a week ago, reports surfaced that Yonatan Urich, a senior advisor to the prime minister, and Eli Feldstein, his former military spokesman, had been detained in connection with an investigation first exposed by Israel’s Channel 12 News.
The two were taken into custody at Lahav 433 – the Israel Police’s criminal investigations unit – about a week and a half ago, where they were questioned on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent and money laundering. Investigators sought answers regarding the source of the funds they received—and whether they were, in fact, operating on behalf of Qatar.
As close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, their detainment has intensified scrutiny over the case, raising further questions about potential foreign influence.
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A law enforcement source said to be “familiar with the details of the investigation” told Chanel 12 News correspondent Moshe Nussbaum over the weekend, “It is already clear that there will be no escape from asking for the prime minister’s version. For now, as a witness, but perhaps also as a person under investigation under caution.”
The case involving Netanyahu’s close associates, Topaz Urich and Avi Feldstein, has been dubbed “Qatargate” due to its alleged ties to Qatari influence operations. The scandal revolves around suspicions that the two engaged in money laundering and contact with a foreign agent, with investigators probing whether they received funds from Qatar in exchange for undisclosed services.
The affair, first exposed by Channel 12, has put Israel’s political landscape on edge, as both figures played key roles in Netanyahu’s administration. Their interrogation at Lahav 433, Israel’s elite anti-corruption unit, marks a significant development in what could become a major political and diplomatic controversy.
Eli Feldstein, an aide and spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, was arrested in November on suspicion of harming Israel’s state security by illegally removing classified documents from IDF (Israel Defense Forces) systems and leaking sensitive security information from the IDF to foreign media.
Qatargate is just one of many scandals Prime Minister Netanyahu is dealing with these days. Netanyahu is currently on trial for breach of the public’s trust, accepting bribes, and fraud.
