From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, March 24, 2026
Lapid says he’ll present bill designating Qatar an enemy state, named after PM’s aide Urich
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleSam Sokol is a former political correspondent at The Times of Israel. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid announces that he will present a bill designating Qatar an enemy state to the Knesset tomorrow, adding that the legislation will be named after Jonatan Urich, an adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Urich is accused of taking money to spearhead a public relations campaign to cast Qatar in a positive light for over a year after the October 7, 2023, Hamas attack.
“A situation in which employees in the Prime Minister’s Office receive money from a country that is the world’s largest funder of terrorism is unacceptable. I am sure there are many supporters for this within the coalition as well,” says Lapid.
Urich’s work for Qatar was conducted despite the Gulf state’s backing for Hamas and while he was working in the PMO. Netanyahu has defended Urich, stating last April that the Gulf emirate was “not an enemy country.”
The Times of Israel Community.