Lapid testifies to police in Qatargate, calls Doha payments to PM’s aides ‘dangerous’

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid gave testimony in the so-called “Qatargate” affair at the request of police authorities, his office said in a statement on Wednesday.

The testimony took place at the Tel Aviv offices of Lapid’s Yesh Atid party and lasted about half an hour, according to reports in Hebrew media.

In his testimony, the opposition leader, who is not implicated in the scandal, was reportedly asked about a meeting with a Qatari official that he attended in Paris together with relatives of hostages held terror groups in Gaza. The meeting took place days before the beginning of a ceasefire, mediated in part by Qatar, in which dozens of the captives were released.

Lapid, who briefly served as prime minister before Netanyahu returned to office in late 2022, was also asked about the functioning of the Prime Minister’s Office.

His testimony was meant to provide background information to investigators, the news outlet Walla reported.

“As part of his testimony, Lapid explained how the Prime Minister’s Office is supposed to operate under proper procedure, and why it is improper, dangerous to state security, and contrary to all procedure or law that Netanyahu’s advisers received hundreds of thousands of dollars from a Muslim state that supports terror while simultaneously working in the Prime Minister’s Office,” read the statement from Lapid.

The Qatargate affair revolves primarily around allegations that top Netanyahu aide Jonatan Urich and prime ministerial spokesman Eli Feldstein worked for a pro-Qatar lobbying firm while simultaneously employed by the prime minister. They are suspected of committing multiple offenses tied to the alleged dual employment, including contact with a foreign agent and a series of corrupt actions involving lobbyists and businessmen.

Both deny wrongdoing. Urich, who was previously under house arrest, was cleared earlier this month to once again meet and work with Netanyahu. Feldstein, meanwhile, has been in discussions about becoming a state witness in the case, Walla reported. Earlier this week, the government suspended a member of the team negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza following testimony he gave to police in connection with the case.

Lapid has sought to make political hay of the affair, accusing Netanyahu of acting irresponsibly in order to escape culpability for the scandal. In particular, he accused Netanyahu of pushing out Shin Bet director Ronen Bar due to Qatargate, which the intelligence agency was investigating.

He has previously testified in other investigations of allegations against Netanyahu.