‘You made me a scapegoat!’: Joint interrogation of Netanyahu’s aides said to nearly turn physical

Channel 12 publishes leaked transcripts from the joint interrogation it held on Wednesday with two of the main suspects in the Qatargate probe, Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein.

Police decided to place them in a room together after the pair offered contradicting testimony regarding.

The interaction quickly became heated and almost turned into a physical brawl, according to Channel 12.

Feldstein blasted Urich for refusing to speak out during an earlier investigation in which the former is accused of having leaked classified intelligence to the German Bild daily in order to scuttle a potential hostage deal. Feldstein has insisted that he was acting off of Urich’s orders on Netanyahu’s behalf.

“You know that you did everything with the prime minister’s permission. Who told me about “Bild?” Who told me the prime minister was pleased [after the story was published]? Who told me to bring [the matter] to [campaign advisor Yisrael] Einhorn? You already abandoned me then,” Feldstein told Urich.

“I will give you evidence that this time [Qatargate], you abandoned me as well. I saw at yesterday’s [remand extension] hearing that all of the prime minister’s aides came — Topaz Luk, Ofer Golan, Guy Levy, David Sharan… when I was in custody, no one came. You don’t care about me. No one in your office cares about me,” Feldstein continues.

“You’re blaming the entire affair on me. I have nothing. Tell them [the investigators] the truth about the [stolen intel] documents probe. Forget about Qatar for a moment. What about the documents probe? I am accused of harming national security when I was going off of your orders. You know that everything I did I’d ask you about [beforehand],” he says.

Urich refrained from answering and put his head down.

“Do you want me to pick your head up so you can look me in the eye?” Feldstein says, getting up out of his chair and moving toward Urich before being blocked by the interrogators.

“Talk to me! I’m being put on trial here. Jonatan, speak up! Open your mouth and tell the truth!” Feldstein yells.

“Eli, what do you want from me? What do you want from me? I don’t know [Israeli businessman Gil] Birger, I don’t know [Qatari lobbyist Jay] Footlik,” Urich responds, referring to the two men who were allegedly behind payments to Netanyahu’s aides on behalf of Qatar.

“You know there are messages [between us that show otherwise]. You know everything you deleted. You know it’s all in my possession. And you know everything about this matter. You made me a scapegoat. Where were you when I was arrested? Why didn’t you send anyone to court (to support me)?” Feldstein shot back.

“I’m a Zionist patriot. It’s bad enough what you’ve done to me, but how could you do this to my parents as well? How many millions does my father have to pay because of this trial? You’ve killed my parents!” Feldstein added.