Lapid demands Attorney General probe Netanyahu-Qatar connection
After the reported business relationship between Netanyahu's advisors and the Qatari government, the opposition leader demaned an investigation into 'four associates receiving Qatari money'
Opposition Leader Yair Lapid petitioned Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara on Wednesday, requesting an investigation into the connection between the Prime Minister's Office and Qatar's lobbyists.
This follows reported business relationships between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisors and the Qatari government.
"If the publications prove to be true, this is not only a blatant conflict of interest, but a clear detriment to the security of the state," Lapid wrote.
The reports said Netyahu's aides engaged in improving Qatar's image while dealing with sensitive state affairs, even though Doha is a terror sponsor of Hamas.
Three senior advisers – Eliezer Feldstein, Jonathan Urich, and Israel Einhorn – allegedly worked to promote the interests of Qatar. They exploited their senior positions in the Prime Minister's Office to benefit Qatar, a country with which Israel has no diplomatic relations.
The Movement for Quality Government also appealed to the Shin Bet security agency on the matter. In its demand to investigate the issue, it clarified that, in Feldstein's case, he acted on behalf of Qatar in parallel to his role as communications and strategy advisor in the Prime Minister's Office, while he was dealing with the hostages issue. "This is especially serious in light of the fact that an indictment was already filed about four months ago against Feldstein for offenses surrounding deliberately compromising state security information," the non-governmental organization said.
"Senior advisors in the Prime Minister's office are conducting business relations with a country that supports terrorist organizations threatening Israel," said attorney Dr. Eliad Shraga, on behalf of the Movement. "This is a serious blow to the security of the state that requires an immediate investigation. Given the explicit authority in the Shin Bet law to investigate suspicions of harming the state's security, we demand an immediate initiation of the investigation of all those involved in this serious matter."