Keren Setton / The Media Line
Ynet News, Apr. 2, 2025
“Qatar understands that countries and people are looking to promote short-term interests, and that by helping them, it gains a foothold.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu abruptly left his trial on Monday to give testimony in the latest scandal involving his senior advisers and their ties to Qatar. The development is the latest twist in an investigation dubbed Qatargate, which has engulfed the veteran Israeli leader and his inner circle. On Tuesday morning, police requested to extend the suspects’ remand by nine days. One of the advisers, Jonatan Urich, still holds a position in Netanyahu’s office as one of his closest aides. A former aide, Eli Feldstein, was recently charged with harming national security in a separate case involving the theft and leak of classified Israeli military documents.
The latest investigation, led by Israel’s Shin Bet security agency, focuses on Feldstein’s work at an international firm contracted by Qatar to promote pro-Qatar stories to Israeli journalists while he was also employed in the Prime Minister’s Office. Urich is suspected of involvement in a complex network of businesspeople and officials who allegedly facilitated payments from Doha while attempting to conceal their origin.
Israel and Qatar do not have formal diplomatic ties but have maintained discreet economic and political interactions for decades. Security cooperation began in the 1990s and has included intelligence-sharing between agencies. Trade relations have fluctuated, often influenced by Israel’s ongoing conflict with the Hamas terrorist organization in Gaza. Qatar has played a central role in mediation between Israel and Hamas since the war began in October 2023. The Gulf state has hosted several Hamas leaders while simultaneously taking part in negotiations with Israel on sensitive issues such as hostage releases and ceasefires. ….SOURCE