Israel’s internal spy agency probes Netanyahu office’s ties to Qatar
Israel’s internal spy agency, Shin Bet, has launched an investigation into possible ties between prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s top advisors and Qatar.
In response to a query from MK Gilad Kariv, the Shin Bet said on Saturday that it has begun investigating the prime minister’s office and the personnel surrounding “protected persons,” a euphemism for the most senior Israeli officials.
“All of the prime minister’s office staff who were in contact with Qatar must be immediately investigated. And Netanyahu himself must be investigated,” Knesset members said in a letter.
In response to Shin Bet’s probe, Netanyahu’s office put out a statement criticizing the agency for selective enforcement by not investigating his political rivals.
“We are used to false accusations about the prime minister’s office,” the statement said, dismissing the allegations against the prime minister’s advisors as “fake news.”
The Shin Bet’s confirmation of the inquiry came after Israeli media reported on Friday that Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu’s former spokesman, was paid by Doha to feed top Israeli journalists pro-Qatar stories and also provide military intelligence to Qatar.
The reports also called for a probe into Qatar’s influence in Netanyahu’s office.
“It is not possible for people who have financial interests with a foreign country to be involved in managing matters critical to Israel’s security,” said a member of Knesset.
“The Shin Bet must thoroughly investigate not only the prime minister’s associates, but also the prime minister himself. Was he aware of these connections? Did he approve of them? And perhaps even worse, did he himself receive funds, directly or indirectly?” he added.
Israel has no diplomatic relations with Qatar, which hosts Hamas’s leadership. Qatar, along with Egypt mediated the current ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian resistance groups.
On January 15, the Israeli regime, failing to achieve any of its war objectives including the “elimination” of Hamas or the release of captives, was forced to agree to a ceasefire deal with the Palestinian resistance movements.
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