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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday accused law enforcement of conducting a politically motivated investigation after testifying in a widening probe into alleged covert ties between two of his close aides and the government of Qatar.
The investigation, dubbed “Qatargate” by Israeli media, centers on suspicions that longtime Netanyahu communications advisor Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein, who served as the prime minister’s spokesperson for military affairs, promoted Qatari interests while working in the Prime Minister’s Office.
Urich and Feldstein were arrested earlier Monday on charges including contact with a foreign agent and money laundering. Police suspect Feldstein received payments from American businessman Jay Footlik, a registered Qatari lobbyist, in exchange for promoting favorable messaging about the Gulf state. According to investigators, Feldstein continued to receive payments even after being denied security clearance.
“From the moment I was asked to testify, I cleared my schedule and said, ‘Now. Not a moment’s delay,’” Netanyahu said in a video statement following his testimony. “The police said they needed four hours. After one hour they had no more questions. They took a 90-minute break, came back for ten minutes. I said, ‘Show me something.’ They had nothing to show.”
“I was shocked,” he added. “I understood this was a political investigation, but I didn’t realize how far it goes. They are holding Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein as hostages. They are making their lives miserable over absolutely nothing.”
Netanyahu was summoned to provide testimony—not as a suspect—and his remarks cannot be used against him unless his status changes. The session was approved by Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and conducted by Deputy Commissioner Momi Meshulam, who previously led investigations into Netanyahu’s other corruption cases.
Initially accompanied by his attorney Amit Hadad and chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, Netanyahu ultimately gave testimony alone. The session was documented on video and audio.
Police are also investigating whether other journalists were involved in the alleged influence operation tied to Footlik. One journalist who reportedly introduced Feldstein to Footlik has been questioned and informed that he is a suspect. An Israeli businessman with ties to the lobbyist, Israel Einhorn, was also detained for questioning.
According to investigators, Feldstein briefed journalists while in government using information he attributed to senior American sources, casting Qatar as a key U.S. ally and staging ground for military operations, including the killing of Iranian general Qasem Soleimani. He allegedly promoted these messages in coordination with Footlik and Einhorn and was paid for those efforts.
Feldstein’s attorney, Oded Savoray, denied that his client knowingly received Qatari-linked payments and claimed Footlik’s involvement was a workaround proposed by officials in the Prime Minister’s Office after direct payments were blocked.
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The arrests came shortly after Netanyahu announced his intention to appoint retired Navy Admiral Eli Sharvit as head of the Shin Bet security agency. The Shin Bet is involved in the investigation due to its Qatar-related intelligence. Current agency chief Ronen Bar, whom Netanyahu is seeking to replace, has claimed that the case is part of the reason for his dismissal—an effort he described as a conflict of interest.
Sharvit’s appointment now appears unlikely. While sources close to Netanyahu deny the reversal is tied to Sharvit’s prior participation in protests against the Netanyahu government's proposed judicial reform legislation, a recent op-ed he wrote criticizing U.S. President Donald Trump has reportedly raised new concerns.