From the Liveblog of
Monday, February 10, 2025
Report: PMO leaks suspect Eli Feldstein did PR work for Qatar while working for Netanyahu’s office
The key suspect in the Prime Minister’s Office document leaks affair, Eli Feldstein, did public relations work for Qatar while working as a military spokesman in the PMO, Channel 12 reports.
The report says that during his tenure as military spokesman for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, Feldstein was employed by an unnamed Qatar-funded company, and was tasked with improving Doha’s image on the issue of the Gulf country’s role in hostage deal mediation between Israel and Hamas.
The report notes that Feldstein was doing this work at the same time that Netanyahu was publicly criticizing Qatar for backing the Palestinian terror group.
Channel 12 adds that as part of his work, Feldstein held conversations with several journalists in which he presented Qatar as having a “positive role” in negotiations.
The report adds that the Qatar-funded company that employed Feldstein was working to promote contact between the families of the hostages and the government in Doha.
According to the report, Feldstein’s work for Qatar only ended when the PMO document leaks case broke into the media.
Channel 12 also notes that last November, two other Netanyahu advisers — Jonatan Urich and Yisrael Einhorn — were reported to be involved in a campaign to improve Qatar’s image surrounding hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Feldstein was arrested last November on suspicions of leaking stolen classified intelligence information to be published in the foreign press.
He stands accused of transferring classified information with the intent to harm state security, a charge that can carry a sentence of life in prison, as well as illicit possession of classified information and obstruction of justice.
