TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s workplace is as soon as once more ensnared in scandal after police arrested two of his shut associates this week on suspicion of accepting cash from Qatar to advertise a optimistic picture of the Gulf Arab state in Israel.
The affair has gripped Israelis as a result of Qatar, a rustic that many view as a patron of Hamas, and which has no formal diplomatic ties to Israel, seems to have penetrated the very best corridors of energy.
Qatar, which is a key mediator for Hamas in its ceasefire negotiations with Israel, denies backing the militant group. Netanyahu has given an announcement to police on the matter however just isn’t a suspect within the case, which he says is baseless and meant to topple his rule.
The investigation is simply the newest scandal to roil Netanyahu, who’s the topic of a long-running corruption trial and usually rails towards a “deep state” that’s out to get him.
Critics say Netanyahu, the nation’s longest-serving prime minister, has labored in recent times to undermine Israel’s state establishments, together with its judiciary. Most lately, they level to his try to dismiss the pinnacle of Israel’s home safety company, which can be investigating his workplace’s alleged hyperlinks to Qatar.
Netanyahu advisers allegedly promoted Qatari pursuits
Dubbed “Qatargate” by Israeli media, the investigation facilities on accusations that two shut advisers to Netanyahu — longtime media guide Jonatan Urich, and former spokesman Eli Feldstein — had been employed to run a public-relations marketing campaign to enhance Qatar’s picture amongst Israelis whereas it was negotiating on behalf of Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza. Funds had been allegedly funneled by an American lobbyist.
In line with a court docket doc, the American lobbyist and Urich struck a “business connection” to positively promote Qatar and unfold destructive messages about Egypt, one other essential mediator within the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations.
Feldstein was allegedly paid to move on these messages to journalists. He and Urich might face prices of contact with a international agent, cash laundering, bribery, fraud and breach of belief, in line with Israeli media. Aside from monetary acquire, another attainable motives are unclear.
Attorneys for Urich and Feldstein didn’t reply to requests for remark.
Netanyahu has slammed the probe as a political witch hunt and accused police of holding his advisers as “hostages” — wording that angered many in Israel as a result of Hamas remains to be holding dozens captive inside Gaza after its Oct. 7, 2023, assault that ignited the warfare.
A choose on Tuesday prolonged the detentions of Urich and Feldstein, who has been indicted in a separate case involving the leak of labeled data to a German tabloid.
If the brand new allegations are substantiated, “it’s an abuse of the office,” mentioned Tomer Naor, of the Motion of High quality Authorities in Israel. What’s significantly worrying, he mentioned, is how simply outdoors actors seem to have gained entry to the prime minister’s inside circle — and that the advisers allegedly promoted Qatari speaking factors to journalists whereas giving the impression that the messaging was coming from the prime minister’s workplace.
Qatar is a key mediator on Gaza with ties to Hamas
The almost 18-monthlong warfare in Gaza rages on after final month’s collapse of a 42-day ceasefire that Qatar performed a key function in serving to safe.
Amongst Israelis, the gas-rich emirate is finest recognized for sending cash to Gaza starting in 2018 — an effort meant to assist poor households. However analysts and former officers say among the cash dispatched with Netanyahu’s blessing made its approach to Hamas’ army wing and helped it put together for the Oct. 7, 2023, assaults.
Israelis are additionally suspicious of Qatar’s intentions as a result of it’s the homebase for Hamas’ political leaders, and its broadcaster Al Jazeera is seen by Israel as a mouthpiece for Hamas, allegations the community denies. Qatar says it supplied humanitarian assist to Gaza in full coordination with the Israeli authorities.
When reached by the AP, a Qatari authorities official didn’t straight reply to the alleged hyperlinks to Netanyahu’s advisers. He mentioned mediation efforts on Gaza would proceed. He spoke on situation of anonymity consistent with laws.
As soon as the goal of a regional blockade over its alleged ties to Islamist extremist teams and Iran, Qatar has lengthy sought to be seen as an influential regional participant and as a trusted battle mediator.
However all through the warfare in Gaza, many in Israel, together with Netanyahu, have expressed anger that Qatar wasn’t doing sufficient to stress Hamas to fulfill Israel’s phrases for a ceasefire.
Qatar’s intention within the alleged public-relations marketing campaign in Israel could have been to quell these accusations and ensure they didn’t affect the U.S., with whom it has shut safety ties, mentioned Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher on the Institute for Nationwide Safety Research, a Tel Aviv assume tank.
He mentioned any effort to besmirch Egypt, a longtime mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, could have been a means to enhance Qatar’s personal regional standing.
Qatar “brings up a lot of emotions” in Israel as a result of it’s considered as having performed a key function in bolstering Hamas forward of its Oct. 7 assault, Guzansky mentioned. Earlier than the warfare, Netanyahu had authorised the switch of funds from Qatar to Gaza as a part of a technique to comprise Hamas, he defined.
“Qatar is contemptible. But we should check ourselves first,” he mentioned. “We not only allowed, we encouraged Qatar to invest in Gaza.”
The affair is the newest scandal to canine Netanyahu
It’s not clear what, if something, Netanyahu knew about his advisers’ alleged wrongdoing.
Earlier aides who acquired into bother with the legislation have turned state witness towards Netanyahu in his corruption trial. Netanyahu’s testimony in that trial was halted after Urich and Feldstein’s arrest this week; he was summoned to provide police an announcement concerning the case.
Netanyahu is beneath immense public stress to just accept accountability for his function in failing to forestall the Oct. 7 assault, together with permitting the switch of Qatari money to Gaza.
Mass protests erupted in current weeks over Netanyahu’s determination to finish the Gaza ceasefire that had facilitated the discharge of dozens of hostages, and over his strikes to fireside the pinnacle of the nation’s home safety company and its legal professional normal.
The try to fireside Shin Guess chief Ronen Bar got here because the company was operating its personal probe into the Qatar hyperlinks. That prompted accusations that Netanyahu was making an attempt to snuff out the investigation.
Netanyahu has advised, with little proof, that the probe was a results of collusion between Bar and the legal professional normal as a approach to thwart the home safety chief’s dismissal. A court docket froze Bar’s dismissal pending additional hearings. That hasn’t stopped Netanyahu from making an attempt to nominate his alternative.
