Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel has been standing trial for corruption while overseeing conflicts in the Middle East. This has led to opposition calls for his resignation. Netanyahu’s recent attempts to fire the head of the Israeli internal security agency, the Shin Bet, have added to the controversy. The case, known as “Qatargate,” accuses Netanyahu’s media advisers of being paid by a representative of Qatar to promote Qatari interests in Israeli news media. Netanyahu denies these claims and calls it a “political manhunt.” The court records show that the investigation involves Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, two aides to Netanyahu, who are suspected of promoting a favorable image of Qatar in Israeli news media. The advisers were arrested and a judge extended their detention. Netanyahu was questioned by police officers for more than an hour but is not a suspect in the case. The Shin Bet has been involved in the investigations, and Netanyahu’s attempt to fire the agency’s director fueled accusations of seeking revenge. Netanyahu denies these claims and said the director was fired because of a breakdown of trust. Interviewed for this article were reporters Myra Noveck and Gabby Sobelman.

Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/03/world/middleeast/israel-qatar-netanyahu.html