Netanyahu sidesteps question on Urich’s alleged Qatar ties, says aide had no access to security briefings

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu insists that his aide Jonatan Urich never attended security meetings or received security briefings, when pressed about Urich’s alleged ties to Qatar during the war.

Asked by Kan interviewer Ayala Hasson what he knows about Urich’s connection to the powerful Gulf country, Netanyahu replies: “I can tell you one thing: Jonatan Urich was not present at a single security meeting, not a single security briefing, because he had no security information… He was outside the door.”

Asked whether he questioned Urich about any ties to Qatar during the war, Netanyahu says he has been prohibited from speaking with the aide by legal restrictions, and then describes the allegations against Urich as politically motivated, comparing them to his own corruption trial.

Earlier in the interview, Netanyahu also dismisses insulting messages allegedly recovered from Jonatan Urich’s hacked phone, saying he “didn’t even read” reports on the matter, describing as part of orchestrated “media storms” ahead of the elections.

Urich is a key suspect in the so-called Qatargate affair, which concerns allegations that Netanyahu’s advisers did public relations work for Qatar while they were employed by the Prime Minister’s Office, including by placing pro-Qatar stories in the media. Urich also faces charges in connection with a 2024 leak of classified documents.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.