From the Liveblog of
Monday, March 31, 2025
Top Netanyahu aides Urich and Feldstein arrested in ‘Qatargate’ investigation
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
The police announce the arrest of two suspects in the so-called Qatargate scandal.
They are named by Hebrew-language media named as Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, top aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
In a very brief statement to the press, the police state that the two suspects were arrested earlier today within the framework of the investigation into suspected unlawful ties between senior aides to Netanyahu and Qatar.
The investigation is being conducted by the police’s Lahav 433 national crimes unit and the Shin Bet.
No further details are made available for publication due to a court-imposed gag order on the case.
The investigation was launched following revelations that Netanyahu’s former spokesman Feldstein — who has been charged with harming national security in a case involving the theft and leaking of classified IDF documents — worked for Qatar via an international firm contracted by Doha to feed Israeli journalists pro-Qatar stories, while he was employed in the PMO.
Last November, it was also reported that top Netanyahu aides Urich and Yisrael Einhorn did public relations work for Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup there.
The Times of Israel Community.