 "What is 'Qatar-gate' that may spell trouble for Netanyahu")
The corruption case against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu might not be his only trouble with the law. Netanyahu, on Monday, cut short his appearance in the court to give testimony to the police in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar, dubbed ‘Qatar Gate.’
According to a report by public broadcaster Kan, two suspects in the investigation have been arrested on suspicion of having links with Qatar. A source close to Netanyahu confirmed the reports. Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem.
According to recent investigations by Kan and the left-leaning Haaretz newspaper, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatar’s image abroad.
What’s the case?
In February 2025, Israeli media reported allegations that senior aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had received substantial payments from entities linked to Qatar.
Eli Feldstein, a member of Netanyahu’s media team, was accused of providing public relations services to Qatari interests while serving in the Prime Minister’s Office.
According to reports, Feldstein was paid by an international private company to oversee a public relations campaign aimed at enhancing Qatar’s image in Israel. His work primarily involved hostage negotiations, during which he allegedly arranged interviews between journalists and Qatari officials, conveyed official statements on Qatar’s behalf, and promoted narratives about its regional influence.
After opening a probe into the investigation, Miara ordered Israel’s Shin Bet and the police to examine the connections between officials in the Prime Minister’s Office and Qatari-linked entities.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsNetanyahu dismisses reports
Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denies, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as “fake news” and a politically motivated campaign against him.
Earlier, he had said that he had been targeted in a “witch hunt” as his Likud party called all the cases against the prime minister “fabricated”.
A Qatari official also dismissed the accusations as part of a “smear campaign” against Qatar.
With inputs from agencies
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