Police issue warrant for American pro-Qatar lobbyist Footlik — reports

Police have reportedly issued an arrest warrant for US lobbyist Jay Footlik in connection with suspicions related to his role in the so-called Qatargate scandal, in which aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are accused of lobbying on behalf of Qatar while in the premier’s employ.

Footlik, a paid advocate for Qatar, is thought to have funneled money to Netanyahu spokesperson Jonatan Urich to do work for Doha. He is also suspected of paying money to Eli Feldstein, then Netanyahu’s military affairs spokesman, via an Israeli businessman based in the Gulf.

According to Ynet, the arrest warrant was issued after the Israel Police appealed to Interpol regarding the matter. In practice, the warrant means that Footlik will face immediate arrest should he ever set foot in Israel.

Police want to question Footlik over his role in the case, but have been unable to secure cooperation from the US Justice Department on the matter.

Efforts to coordinate an inquiry into Footlik alongside Washington were nixed by the Justice Department in early July without explanation, Hebrew outlets reported at the time.

News of the warrant comes hours after police took testimony from Opposition Leader Yair Lapid regarding the ongoing probe. The politician was asked about the conduct of the Prime Minister’s Office and his own meetings with Qatari officials in Paris regarding a hostage deal, which took place in the presence of hostages’ family members, Ynet reports.

Urich and Feldstein, the case’s primary suspects, are being probed for contact with a foreign agent and breach of trust. They are thought to have spearheaded a pro-Qatari campaign to cast the Gulf state in a positive light ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, hosted in Doha, while still working for Netanyahu.