Netanyahu denies report he authorized arms deals with Qatar

The Prime Minister’s Office calls a report that Benjamin Netanyahu approved major arms deals to Qatar before October 7 “totally fake news.”

“The Prime Minister has not instructed the Defense Ministry to sign any export licenses for Qatar,” the PMO tells The Times of Israel.

“Only deals above a certain sum reach the Ministers Committee for Exports, chaired by the Prime Minister – and concerning Qatar, there was no such deal,” says the PMO.

“In accordance with the export supervision law, the Prime Minister does not sign export licenses, and the authorized officials who may approve export and marketing licenses are the Director General of the Defense Ministry and the head of DECA.”