From the Liveblog of
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
Bennett urges Shin Bet to bar Netanyahu aide Urich from PM’s Office over Qatargate
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleAriela Karmel is a political correspondent at The Times of Israel. She previously reported for Calcalist and Haaretz. She holds an MA in Middle Eastern and African History from Tel Aviv University and a BA in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.
Former prime minister and B’Yachad party chairman Naftali Bennett calls on Shin Bet chief David Zini to immediately bar Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s close adviser Jonatan Urich from any contact with the Prime Minister’s Office, citing recent developments in the Qatargate affair.
“Anyone who worked on behalf of those who funded the Nukhba terrorists during the sadistic massacre must not be allowed to come into contact with the people surrounding the prime minister,” Bennett says, calling for an investigation into whether Urich’s activities on behalf of Qatar endangered Israel’s peace agreement with Egypt and what the prime minister knew.
“When did Netanyahu learn about the affair, and did he know about it in real time? Why does Netanyahu continue to employ Urich and defend him? What is the nature of the relationship between Netanyahu and Qatar?” Bennett asks.
“Until these matters are clarified, the head of the Shin Bet is expected to prevent further harm to Israel’s security,” he adds.
His comments follow a series of Channel 12 and other reports about the case, including one on Monday that Urich, one of several Netanyahu aides suspected of conducting public relations work for Qatar while employed in the Prime Minister’s Office, admitted to investigators that he received “hundreds of thousands of shekels” from Doha and had no moral qualms about working for the Gulf state before or after the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attack.
The Times of Israel Community.