 "Former Israeli PM alleges ‘treason’ in Netanyahu's office over Qatar funding")
Former Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett has launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing his office of committing “treason” over alleged Qatari funding to close aides, and calling for Netanyahu’s immediate resignation.
The explosive comments come as Israel heads toward legislative elections in October 2026, with Bennett widely seen as a strong contender.
Netanyahu, meanwhile, has already signalled his intention to seek another term, setting the stage for what’s shaping up to be a no-holds-barred political showdown.
‘Qatargate’ scandal deepens
At the heart of the controversy is the so-called “Qatargate” affair, which centres on suspicions that close associates of Netanyahu were recruited by Qatar to promote the Gulf monarchy’s image inside Israel.
Qatar hosts senior Hamas leaders and has played a key mediating role during the war in Gaza, a fact that adds extra fuel to the political fire. An investigation is already underway, and two of Netanyahu’s aides were taken into custody in late March.
“Netanyahu’s office betrayed the State of Israel and IDF (Israeli military) soldiers in wartime, and acted on Qatar’s behalf out of greed, while Netanyahu himself seeks to cover up the affair,” Bennett wrote on social media. “This is the most serious act of treason in Israel’s history,” he added.
‘Holy of holies of Israeli security’
Doubling down, Bennett said the alleged misconduct struck at the very core of the state. “This has happened in the holy of holies of Israeli security: the prime minister’s office.” He argued that whether Netanyahu knew about the actions or not, the outcome should be the same.
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View All“Whether Netanyahu knew or did not know that his office was working for money for an enemy during wartime, both scenarios require his immediate resignation,” he said.
Bennett’s remarks followed a report aired on Israel’s i24news television channel, which allegedly revealed conversations between two of Netanyahu’s advisers linked to the case.
According to Israeli media, the aides are suspected of transferring confidential information to Qatari sources during the Gaza war. Bennett claimed that “three of Netanyahu’s closest advisers” had “acted as paid agents of Qatar”, at a time when Israeli soldiers “were fighting and falling under bullets bought with Qatari money”.
The third individual allegedly crafted pro-Qatar messaging, which the other two then spread.
In April 2025, Netanyahu publicly stated that Qatar was “not an enemy” of Israel and defended his aides after their detention.
Opposition leader Yair Lapid echoed Bennett’s criticism, calling the affair the “most serious treason case in the history of the State”.
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