Netanyahu is rocked by a new scandal linking his close advisers to Qatar

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s bureau is erstwhile again ensnared successful ungraded aft constabulary arrested 2 of his adjacent associates this week connected suspicion of accepting wealth from Qatar to beforehand a affirmative representation of the Gulf Arab authorities successful Israel.

The matter has gripped Israelis due to the fact that Qatar, a state that galore presumption arsenic a patron of Hamas, and which has nary ceremonial diplomatic ties to Israel, appears to person penetrated the highest corridors of power.

Qatar, which is simply a cardinal mediator for Hamas successful its ceasefire negotiations with Israel, denies backing the militant group. Netanyahu has fixed a connection to constabulary connected the substance but is not a fishy successful the case, which helium says is baseless and meant to topple his rule.

The probe is conscionable the latest ungraded to roil Netanyahu, who is the taxable of a long-running corruption proceedings and regularly rails against a “deep state” that is retired to get him.

Critics accidental Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving premier minister, has worked successful caller years to undermine Israel's authorities institutions, including its judiciary. Most recently, they constituent to his effort to disregard the caput of Israel's home information agency, which is besides investigating his office's alleged links to Qatar.

Netanyahu advisers allegedly promoted Qatari interests

Dubbed “Qatargate” by Israeli media, the probe centers connected accusations that 2 adjacent advisers to Netanyahu — longtime media advisor Jonatan Urich, and erstwhile spokesperson Eli Feldstein — were hired to tally a public-relations run to amended Qatar's representation among Israelis portion it was negotiating connected behalf of Hamas for a ceasefire successful Gaza. Payments were allegedly funneled done an American lobbyist.

According to a tribunal document, the American lobbyist and Urich struck a “business connection” to positively beforehand Qatar and dispersed antagonistic messages astir Egypt, different important mediator successful the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations.

Feldstein was allegedly paid to walk connected those messages to journalists. He and Urich could look charges of interaction with a overseas agent, wealth laundering, bribery, fraud and breach of trust, according to Israeli media. Other than fiscal gain, immoderate different imaginable motives are unclear.

One Israeli writer questioned successful the lawsuit is Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, an English-language daily. According to a study this week successful the Post, Klein visited Qatar astatine the invitation of its authorities past twelvemonth and subsequently wrote a bid of articles astir his impressions, 1 of which laid retired Qatar's lawsuit against Israeli claims that it backs the militant group. The paper said Klein, who could not beryllium reached for comment, is presently barred from speaking to journalists.

Lawyers for Urich and Feldstein did not respond to requests for comment.

Netanyahu has slammed the probe arsenic a governmental witch hunt and accused constabulary of holding his advisers arsenic “hostages” — wording that angered galore successful Israel due to the fact that Hamas is inactive holding dozens captive wrong Gaza aft its Oct. 7, 2023, onslaught that ignited the war.

A justice connected Tuesday extended the detentions of Urich and Feldstein, who has been indicted successful a abstracted lawsuit involving the leak of classified accusation to a German tabloid.

If the caller allegations are substantiated, “it’s an maltreatment of the office,” said Tomer Naor, of the Movement of Quality Government successful Israel. What's peculiarly worrying, helium said, is however easy extracurricular actors look to person gained entree to the premier minister's interior ellipse — and that the advisers allegedly promoted Qatari talking points to journalists portion giving the content that the messaging was coming from the premier minister's office.

Qatar is simply a cardinal mediator connected Gaza with ties to Hamas

The astir 18-monthlong warfare successful Gaza rages connected aft past month's illness of a 42-day ceasefire that Qatar played a cardinal relation successful helping secure.

Among Israelis, the gas-rich emirate is champion known for sending wealth to Gaza opening successful 2018 — an effort meant to assistance mediocre families. But analysts and erstwhile officials accidental immoderate of the wealth dispatched with Netanyahu's blessing made its mode to Hamas’ subject helping and helped it hole for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

Israelis are besides suspicious of Qatar's intentions due to the fact that it is the homebase for Hamas' governmental leaders, and its broadcaster Al Jazeera is seen by Israel arsenic a mouthpiece for Hamas, allegations the web denies. Qatar says it provided humanitarian assistance to Gaza successful afloat coordination with the Israeli government.

When reached by the AP, a Qatari authorities authoritative did not straight respond to the alleged links to Netanyahu's advisers. He said mediation efforts connected Gaza would continue. He spoke connected information of anonymity successful enactment with regulations.

Once the people of a determination blockade implicit its alleged ties to Islamist extremist groups and Iran, Qatar has agelong sought to beryllium seen arsenic an influential determination subordinate and arsenic a trusted struggle mediator.

But passim the warfare successful Gaza, galore successful Israel, including Netanyahu, person expressed choler that Qatar wasn't doing capable to unit Hamas to conscionable Israel's presumption for a ceasefire.

Qatar’s purpose successful the alleged public-relations run successful Israel whitethorn person been to quell those accusations and marque definite they didn’t power the U.S., with whom it has adjacent information ties, said Yoel Guzansky, a elder researcher astatine the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv deliberation tank.

He said immoderate effort to besmirch Egypt, a longtime mediator betwixt Israel and the Palestinians, whitethorn person been a mode to amended Qatar's ain determination standing.

Qatar “brings up a batch of emotions” successful Israel due to the fact that it is viewed arsenic having played a cardinal relation successful bolstering Hamas up of its Oct. 7 attack, Guzansky said. Before the war, Netanyahu had approved the transportation of funds from Qatar to Gaza arsenic portion of a strategy to incorporate Hamas, helium explained.

“Qatar is contemptible. But we should cheque ourselves first,” helium said. “We not lone allowed, we encouraged Qatar to put successful Gaza.”

The matter is the latest ungraded to canine Netanyahu

It's not wide what, if anything, Netanyahu knew astir his advisers' alleged wrongdoing.

Previous aides who got into occupation with the instrumentality person turned authorities witnesser against Netanyahu successful his corruption trial. Netanyahu's grounds successful that proceedings was halted aft Urich and Feldstein's apprehension this week; helium was summoned to springiness constabulary a connection astir the case.

Netanyahu is nether immense nationalist unit to judge work for his relation successful failing to forestall the Oct. 7 attack, including allowing the transportation of Qatari currency to Gaza.

Mass protests erupted successful caller weeks implicit Netanyahu's determination to extremity the Gaza ceasefire that had facilitated the merchandise of dozens of hostages, and implicit his moves to occurrence the caput of the country's home information bureau and its lawyer general.

The effort to occurrence Shin Bet main Ronen Bar came arsenic the bureau was moving its ain probe into the Qatar links. That prompted accusations that Netanyahu was trying to snuff retired the investigation.

Netanyahu has suggested, with small evidence, that the probe was a effect of collusion betwixt Bar and the lawyer wide arsenic a mode to thwart the home information chief’s dismissal. A tribunal froze Bar's dismissal pending further hearings. That hasn't stopped Netanyahu from trying to name his replacement.

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