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Friday, December 26, 2025
Likud downplays Netanyahu’s ties to Feldstein after ex-aide implicates PM in intel leak
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party issues an unusual statement addressing recent reports about the premier and his office, including an interview with Eli Feldstein aired on the Kan public broadcaster earlier this week.
“Contrary to the false claims, Feldstein never served as the Prime Minister’s spokesperson and was not employed in the Prime Minister’s Office,” the statement reads. “The Prime Minister had almost no contact with him, did not share discussions with him, and certainly did not include him in meetings or classified discussions.”
Instead, the party asserts, “Feldstein was employed by the director general of the Prime Minister’s Office, and after his employment there ended, he worked as an external advisor for the National Cyber Directorate.”
Regarding the Prime Minister’s stance on Qatar, the statement says, “Since the beginning of the war, the Prime Minister has issued sharp statements and briefings against Qatar despite criticism from security officials and left-wing journalists who claimed he was ‘jeopardizing the hostages.'”
“Senior officials in the security systems occasionally tried to praise Qatar in the Prime Minister’s speeches, but the Prime Minister firmly rejected this,” the Likud adds.
In contrast, the party points out that several left-wing figures maintain ties with Qatar, noting, “Former senior officers, left-wing leaders, hostage negotiation team members and businessmen from the left have extensive ties with Qatar.”
However, the Prime Minister’s Office has praised Qatar in the past, including a July 2025 announcement thanking Doha for its role in mediating a ceasefire deal with Hamas. Earlier, in March 2024, Netanyahu’s office also said Qatar was pressuring Hamas to agree to a deal for the release of hostages.
Sara Netanyahu, the premier’s wife, also reached out to the Emir of Qatar’s mother, writing during Ramadan of last year, “Your involvement could be decisive in bringing them home, offering a beacon of hope for their families and taking a significant step toward peace and reconciliation.”
The Times of Israel Community.