From the Liveblog of
Thursday, February 13, 2025
Watchdog calls for ‘comprehensive’ Shin Bet probe into allegations concerning PM’s office, Qatar
Sam Sokol is the Times of Israel's political correspondent. He was previously a reporter for the Jerusalem Post, Jewish Telegraphic Agency and Haaretz. He is the author of "Putin’s Hybrid War and the Jews"
The Movement for Quality Government watchdog organization calls for an “immediate” probe into allegations of ties between the Prime Minister’s Office and Qatar, urging Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar to launch a “comprehensive investigation” into the matter.
In a statement, Movement for Quality Government chairman Eliad Shraga says that it is “unthinkable that someone from the Prime Minister’s Office would act to protect the interests of a state that supports terrorism in the midst of a war. We will demand that the Shin Bet investigate this serious matter to the fullest extent.”
The call comes as The Democrats chief Yair Golan declares “there is a suspicion of treason in the Prime Minister’s Office that must be investigated,” amid allegations of work done by senior staffers on behalf of the Gulf country.
Speaking with Channel 12 on Wednesday, Udi Levy, a former senior Mossad official, claimed that “the Qatari circle of influence is much larger than the three people in the Prime Minister’s Office.”
Levy states that a senior official in the PMO approached an Israeli attorney, asking him to represent Qatar in a lawsuit filed by families of terror victims.
The PMO tells Channel 12 that “no one in the Prime Minister’s Office received permission to offer Qatar an Israeli lawyer to represent it against Israeli claims.”
