Netanyahu's testimony in the 'Qatar-gate' affair: The Prime Minister's version is revealed

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gave open testimony in the 'Qatar-gate' affair following the arrest of his close advisor Yonatan Urich and former spokesperson in his office Eli Feldstein on March 31, 2025. This evening, we reveal the transcripts of his interrogation, in which he tried to minimize direct working ties with those involved and claimed that he did not know about their private business.

'You did not know in real-time if Einhorn had a company, what the company was about, and who the people were that he was in business contact with. And the same goes for Urich, you understand that he has other occupations, but you did not know what they were,' Netanyahu's claims were summarized by the police investigator. As part of the affair, the connection between Qatar and figures in the Prime Minister's Office and their associates — Urich, Feldstein, and Einhorn — is being examined. According to police suspicions, during the months of the war, hundreds of thousands of dollars were transferred from the Qatari government to advisors in Netanyahu's circle.

'I did not know him'

Following the arrests of Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu asked to shorten his testimony in court that same day and went to give open testimony in the affair. In his interrogation, Netanyahu was asked about his acquaintance with Feldstein. The Prime Minister claimed that at first, he did not remember at all that he had interviewed him in the past for the position of Likud spokesperson.

Netanyahu: 'I did not know him, but after the affair exploded, it turned out that I had interviewed him to be the Likud spokesperson many years ago, when I was in the opposition.'

Investigator: 'Many, many years ago.'

Netanyahu: 'Two or three years ago. It turned out, but I did not take him then. And then he appeared again. This is someone whose name Topaz Luk brought. I understood that he failed at some stage, and then they transferred him to the information system. He worked with Yossi Shelley.'

The version provided by Netanyahu is consistent with the line presented by his office after Feldstein's arrest. At first, it was claimed that he does not work in the office. Later, it was stated that he never participated in security discussions and was not exposed to classified information. On the other hand, in his testimony, Feldstein described a direct connection with the Prime Minister and even a task that he said he received from him, which dealt with the public discourse on responsibility for the events of October 7: 'He calls me and asks me what they are talking about in the news — are they still talking about responsibility. About taking responsibility for October 7. I tell him: 'Yes, they are talking about responsibility,' and then I receive a task from him: 'Think about what to do with it.' I asked: 'What do I do with the responsibility?', and he replied: 'Think of something that will lower the media storm around the issue of whether the Prime Minister takes responsibility or does not take responsibility for October 7.'

'I had no interface with him'

In his testimony, Netanyahu did not mention that Feldstein was tasked in the office with the connection with military correspondents. He also did not refer to the documentations in which Feldstein is seen alongside office staff, in the Prime Minister's circle, and in the 'bunker' in the Kirya. The investigator tried to find out what the work interfaces were that existed between Netanyahu and Feldstein, and what was Yonatan Urich's part in his work.

Investigator: 'Do you know if Feldstein was briefed by Urich?'.

Netanyahu: 'He had interfaces with Urich. I saw that he was with the guys.'

Investigator: 'Do you know if Urich briefed him?'.

Netanyahu: 'I don't know. I didn't follow that, it wasn't important.'

Later, Netanyahu was asked if there was a direct working relationship between him and Feldstein. Netanyahu insisted: 'Physically, personally, alone, I had no interface with him.' Investigator Momi Meshulam asked to find out how things fit with a video that Netanyahu published later, in which he praised Feldstein, calling him an 'Israeli patriot and a passionate Zionist.'

Netanyahu: 'Later I got to know him, I told you. When he was Shelley's spokesperson, he really would come. I don't remember working with him as a spokesperson. What I remember is that he would come from time to time, not very frequently. It was more in the Kirya, in the war. There is a room of mine there that he doesn't enter — no one enters there. Personally, there was no special dialogue, but from time to time I saw him. I remember him hanging around there.'

Netanyahu on Urich and Einhorn

Netanyahu said he has known Urich for years, but claimed he did not know what his additional occupations were alongside his work as Likud spokesperson. In the court hearing, Judge Menachem Mizrahi revealed additional things that Netanyahu said to the investigators about Urich's work with Qatar: 'I didn't know that Urich worked with Qatar. There is nothing wrong with that. Qatar is not an enemy state.'

Regarding Israel Einhorn, a strategic consultant living in Serbia, Netanyahu stated: 'He worked in 2009 in the Likud campaign. I remember his work in the campaign. It may be that we employed him later in one way or another, because after the campaign there were those who continued to work on forming the coalition. I don't remember about him, but there is a situation.'

Summary of testimony: Netanyahu claims he was not familiar with the other businesses of his advisors. At the end of the interrogation, the investigator asked to summarize Netanyahu's version regarding his acquaintance with the occupations of Einhorn, Urich, and Feldstein, to which the Prime Minister replied affirmatively, emphasizing that he did not know about Feldstein's affairs 'at all.'

Since giving the testimony, the police have tried ten times to coordinate a short interrogation with the Prime Minister regarding the night meeting affair and the 'build' affair. The investigation may shed light on the conduct of former Chief of Staff Tzachi Braverman and Yonatan Urich.