Democrats chief Golan calls for probe into ties between PM's office and Qatar: 'Suspicion of treason'

[Israeli]

By Sam Sokol
Today, 11:48 am

Allegations that a senior aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did public relations work for Qatar while on the premier’s payroll indicate that “there is a suspicion of treason in the Prime Minister’s Office that must be investigated,” The Democrats chairman Yair Golan declares.

According to a report aired Monday by Channel 12 news, Eli Feldstein, a former military spokesman for the prime minister, was employed by a Qatar-funded company to improve public perception of Doha around the Gulf country’s role in hostage deal mediation between Israel and Hamas.
Feldstein is also a key suspect in a scandal surrounding the leak of classified IDF documents to and from the Prime Minister’s Office.

Channel 12’s report revealed “apparent evidence of a business, financial, and personal connection between the Prime Minister’s Office and an enemy state before and during the war,” Golan alleges.

“Netanyahu’s closest advisers — people from the most important office in the State of Israel — who allegedly received payments, maintained connections, and did business with the state that funded Hamas,” he says, calling on the Shin Bet security service and Attorney General’s Office to open a criminal investigation for treason.

Source : https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/democrats-chief-golan-calls-for-probe-into-ties-between-pms-office-and-qatar-suspicion-of-treason/

[Israeli]

1. Lapid: Netanyahu Seeks to Oust Shin Bet Chief for Investigating His Top Aides' Ties to Qatar

Israel's centrist opposition leaders addressed 'Qatar-gate' amid a Shin Bet investigation following Haaretz and Channel 12 reports of Netanyahu's aides providing PR services to Qatar on the hostage issue and boosting its image before the World Cup

Opposition leader Yair Lapid alleged on Monday that the Netanyahu government intends to fire Shin Bet head Ronen Bar because he ordered an investigation into the ties between senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and Qatar.

"As soon as the head of Shin Bet began investigating 'Qatar-gate,' the government decided to get rid of him," Lapid said during a Yesh Atid faction meeting. He added that while Bar "should go home," it should only happen "after he completes two tasks – the return of the hostages and investigating the infiltration of an Arab state into the Prime Minister's Office."
According to Lapid, Shin Bet is the only agency capable of conducting this investigation, and "those under investigation should not be able to fire the head of Shin Bet to control the probe and influence its outcome."

His party colleague MK Ram Ben-Barak, a former deputy head of Mossad, addressed the Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Monday, urging her to prevent Bar's dismissal "at least until the investigation into the prime minister and his circle is complete."
Ben-Barak said, "In recent days, numerous reports have surfaced about the Netanyahu's intention to dismiss the head of Shin Bet 'in the coming days."

He continued, "It is unacceptable that the prime minister, whose associates are under investigation by Shin Bet over suspected 'ties with Qatar and concerns about compromising security,' would act to dismiss the head of Shin Bet during this sensitive investigation, which is being conducted by Shin Bet itself."

The leader of the National Unity Party and opposition lawmaker, Benny Gantz, also warned that Netanyahu might dismiss the head of Shin Bet. He stated that if the prime minister did so for political reasons, it would harm Israel's security and resilience.
"Ronen Bar is a brave and honest man who took responsibility for October 7, and I am sure he will implement it," Gantz said at a faction meeting. "But this is not the time – not while sensitive negotiations are underway for the continued release of our hostages."

Yair Golan, leader of the center-left The Democrats faction, called on Netanyahu to undergo a security polygraph test, where he would be asked whether he also had ties with Qatar. "When the prime minister covers for his associates who are suspected of personal and financial ties with Hamas' 'bank,' it is hard not to suspect he is covering for himself," Golan said.
Last week, Golan claimed that reports about Netanyahu's advisors' ties with Qatar raised suspicions of treason, following a Channel 12 report that Netanyahu's spokesperson, Eli Feldstein, provided public relations services to Qatar regarding the hostages issue while working in Netanyahu's office.

This was further fueled by Haaretz's expose that Netanyahu's top aide, Jonathan Urich, and Israel Einhorn, who worked with Netanyahu in Likud campaigns, helped run a campaign to improve Qatar's image ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
On Saturday, Shin Bet announced that it was investigating the ties of "officials in the Prime Minister's Office" with Qatar and conducting a "review of security protocols" within the Prime Minister's Office and other government ministries. The investigation is expected to focus on suspicions that the Gulf state attempted to use several of Netanyahu's advisors as "agents of influence" in Israel.

Source : Haaretz

Link : https://archive.md/oTugT#selection-1401.0-1417.397