Berliner Tageblatt - Top aide to Israel's Netanyahu arrested in 'Qatargate' probe

Israeli media identified the two men as Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, both reportedly aides to the prime minister and allegedly linked to what has been dubbed locally as the "Qatargate Affair."

The arrests ratchet up political tensions in the country, where the government is trying to fire both the domestic security chief and attorney general, while expanding the power of politicians over the appointment of judges.

The moves have reignited a protest movement in Israel, coinciding with the government's resumption of fighting this month in the Gaza Strip.

Feldstein had separately been arrested late last year and released to house arrest on accusations of leaking a classified document related to hostage negotiations in Gaza, to shift critical media coverage of the Israeli leader.

Media reports on Monday further indicated that Netanyahu himself is expected to be questioned by police in connection with the Qatargate case.

Netanyahu is separately on trial over corruption allegations that he denies.

"Following an investigation being conducted by the National Unit for International Investigations (YAHBAL)... two suspects were arrested today for questioning," the police said in a statement, noting that the case remains under a court-imposed gag order.

- 'A new low' -

Israeli media also reported that a journalist from a prominent Israeli publication had been summoned for questioning.

AFP was unable to independently verify the identities of those arrested.

Requests for confirmation from Netanyahu's office were not immediately answered.

Qatar, a gas-rich Gulf state, has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has long hosted leaders of Palestinian militant group Hamas, whose 2023 attack on Israel triggered the Gaza war.

"The brutal arrest of Yonatan Urich marks a new low in the political witch hunt to topple a right-wing prime minister and to prevent the dismissal of the failed head of the Shin Bet," said a statement released by Likud.

Two weeks ago, the Israeli government unanimously approved Netanyahu's proposal to fire the head of the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency, Ronen Bar.

The Supreme Court froze Bar's dismissal and is to hold a detailed hearing on the case April 8.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, who faces a similar dismissal, said the top court's initial ruling prevents the hiring of a new security chief, but Netanyahu did so anyway on Monday.

In its statement on Monday, the Likud party linked the Qatargate investigations to efforts to prevent Bar and Baharav-Miara's dismissals, saying "for weeks, the prosecution and the head of the Shin Bet have been conducting baseless investigations in the dark under a gag order, trying to prevent the dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet while using Urich and others as cannon fodder".

Earlier this month, the Shin Bet agency announced it had started investigating Netanyahu's aides in relation to the case, barring the publication of any details.

Bar has accused Netanyahu of "personal interest" in firing him to "prevent investigations into the events leading up to October 7 and other serious matters" being looked at by the Shin Bet.

In a letter, Bar referred to the "complex, wide-ranging and highly sensitive investigation" involving people close to Netanyahu who allegedly received money from Qatar.

K.Thomson--BTB