'Qatargate' rocks Netanyahu govt, minister calls for probe into 'act of treason'

Israel’s Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli on Wednesday became the first member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet to call for a full investigation into the “ Qatargate” scandal that rocked the country amid war. The case garnered attention because it allegedly ties Netanyahu’s office to the Qatari government.

In an interview with Kan Reshet Bet radio on Wednesday, Chikli called for a full investigation into the accusations, calling the case “outrageous”.

The Israeli minister shared his stance on the matter after Opposition lawmaker Naama Lazimi of the Democratic Party appealed to Shin Bet security service chief David Zini, demanding an investigation into the prime minister’s direct involvement in the affair and the leak of classified documents.

Lazimi alleged that the Israeli PMO had become a conduit for spreading narratives of a hostile state," adding that the Shin Bet “must act without fear.”

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When asked about his stance on the matter, Chikli said that if the police should investigate the prime minister’s aides, he called the affair “shocking” and said “the matter needs to be fully examined.” Referring to a report on Sunday by Israeli outlet i24 News, Chikli asked, “Who said not to investigate? Of course it should be investigated! I think [the] revelations are shocking.”

As per the report, Qatargate suspects Eli Feldstein and Srulik Einhorn were connected to Netanyahu’s adviser, Yonatan Uric,h as early as April 2024 – fabricated talking points and messages that, according to the report, originated from Qatar. “Einhorn received money, maybe Feldstein as well, and this looks very bad. I have no way to defend this,” Chikli said to Kan, “It is shocking, to say the least.”

On Tuesday, Feldstein, a former Netanyahu spokesperson, revealed that the Israeli Prime Minister was aware of the leak of a classified Israeli army document to German tabloid Bild, in an interview with the Kan 11 television channel. “He is the one who ultimately stood behind the leak to the newspaper,” Feldstein said during the second part of a three-part interview being broadcast on Kan 11. “To put out such a document, the prime minister needs to be in the picture – from beginning to end.”

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The former PMO spokesperson said that he spoke to Netanyahu after the publication, and the prime minister expressed his satisfaction. “[In the conversation,] the prime minister thanked me for the publication and said it was very important,” he added. When asked how much Netanyahu knew about the leak, Feldstein replied: “He knew everything.” Overall, the Qatargate has significantly rocked the Israeli political landscape.