‘Qatargate’ scandal: Israel’s Netanyahu summoned for questioning as top aides arrested
Israeli police have detained two top aides to prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and summoned him for questioning after increasing allegations that his inner circle was involved in transferring money from Qatar.
Netanyahu left his corruption trial at a Tel Aviv court abruptly on Monday to give evidence in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar.
Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu’s senior staffers, were arrested earlier on Monday over the alleged unlawful financial ties with Qatar.
Netanyahu's testimony would be given as someone with knowledge of the affair
The probe was launched following revelations that Netanyahu’s former spokesman Feldstein worked for Qatar via an international firm contracted by Doha to feed Israeli journalists pro-Qatar stories.
According to Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatar's image abroad.
Coup d’état
Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party released a statement Monday afternoon alleging that the Attorney General’s Office and Shin Bet security service were working to “carry out a coup d’état through arrest warrants.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid said, “Of all the criminal security scandals in the Prime Minister’s Office, this is not only the most serious, it is also the most disturbing and dangerous.”
Earlier in March, police questioned both Feldstein and Urich on suspicion of contacting a foreign agent, fraud, money laundering, and bribery.
The investigation focuses specifically on alleged Qatari payments to Netanyahu’s close circle between May 2022 and October 2024.
Last November, it was reported that the top Netanyahu aides did public relations work for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
The probe has been conducted largely under Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who is currently in the process of being fired by Netanyahu.
Bar's dismissal has fueled street protests against Netanyahu and his regime over its conduct of the war in Gaza and demonstrations were expected to continue on Monday.
The Israeli premier has appeared before the court eight times since December 10, 2024.
Netanyahu's lawyer has repeatedly tried to delay trials or reduce the number of days he has to testify, citing various reasons.
Netanyahu is Israel's first sitting prime minister to be charged with a crime. He has been accused of fraud, bribery, and breach of trust in three corruption cases since 2020.
Netanyahu also faces an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over war crimes and crimes against humanity.
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