In joint interrogation, Feldstein said to accuse Urich of lying to police, prompting tears

Eli Feldstein and Jonatan Urich, the two aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu who are key suspects in the ongoing Qatargate probe, got into a heated argument during a joint interrogation yesterday, the Kan public broadcaster reports.

The two men are suspected of having taken money to spread pro-Qatari messaging to reporters while in the prime minister’s employ.

They were initially interrogated separately but were brought in for a joint interrogation yesterday after police realized that they were giving contradicting testimonies regarding their ties to Qatar.

According to Kan, during the joint interrogation, Urich burst into tears at one point after Feldstein accused him of lying to the police.

It says that the outburst was prompted by Urich telling police he was not involved in any payments that were allegedly transferred to Feldstein by Qatar-based US lobbyist Jay Footlik in exchange for putting a positive spin on Doha’s role as a facilitator in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

The report adds that Feldstein also accused Urich of making him the fall guy in a separate case in which Feldstein is suspected of leaking stolen classified information to be published in the foreign press.