The declarations of Elie Feldsteinthe only accused so far in the so-called Catargate, on public television KHAN served to tighten the siege on the Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and connect more people around them in the plot.
Catargate exploded in 2024, when it became known that Feldstein, the Israeli government’s military affairs spokesperson, was linked to a Qatari propaganda company and helped spread certain messages in various media outlets to improve the emirate’s image.
Although at first Netanyahu’s own government described Feldstein as “a good Zionist” and denied his participation in any type of conspiracy, over time he became the perfect containment barrier and justice has already knocked on his door to try him for “revealing confidential information to a foreign agent with the aim of compromising national security”, in reference to the leak in the German newspaper. PICTURE minutes of the IDF talks immediately after October 7.
Feldstein’s job, among other things, was to publicly exonerate Netanyahu and his government of any responsibility for the attacks… while trying to convince public opinion that Qatar was the ideal intermediary for a peaceful solution to the conflict… and to accuse, paradoxically, Egypt and its intelligence services of collusion with Hamas.
Egypt and Qatar have complex diplomatic relations, due to the emirate’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood.
From the World Cup to the 7th
At least four names are linked in one way or another to this Qatari propaganda operation which, if confirmed, would be very serious for state security.
To think that the emirate, which still does not recognize Israel and is actively fighting for its destruction, has infiltrated four like-minded people at the top of the government would be a very big blow not only to Netanyahu, but to the country in general.
Besides Feldstein, the other suspects are J.Onatan Urich, Srulik Einhorn and, after the interview given to the state channel, Tzachi Braverman.
Urich was Netanyahu’s personal advisor in the months following the October 7, 2023 attack, when the events took place.
According to the Israeli prosecutor’s office, Urich and Feldstein allegedly launched a pro-government speech in response to Netanyahu’s own request to counter stories criticizing the numerous security failures that allowed terrorists to move freely for hours upon hours at a time in both the Nova festival and the various Gaza border kibbutzim.
The fact is that at that time, both were employees of the company The Third Circle, dedicated to improving the image of Qatar in Israel.
Their activity came from before, when they did it entrance hall for the 2022 World Cup, which will be held in the Arab Emirate, but crossed a red line by disclosing to the German newspaper, PICTUREsecret IDF documents regarding what happened on October 7, in which it was the army that looked bad and not the Netanyahu government.
The fierce defense of Einhorn and Braverman
This leak is at the heart of the criminal charge, but it may be just a grain of sand on a huge beach.
Just as Likud and the government itself had no problem smearing Feldstein, they continue to protect Urich, who works in the conservative party and has not been fired from Netanyahu’s office, although the court preemptively prevents him from continuing to exercise his advisory status.
The Prime Minister himself came to his defense, describing these accusations as “political” and “invented”.
Urich and Feldstein are joined by two other important administrative officials: Einhorn and Braverman. Einhorn was another personal adviser to Netanyahu and was responsible, according to the prosecution, for crafting the messages he then passed to Urich and Braverman for distribution to the media.
Einhorn combined his public position with the leadership of Perception Media, another company tasked with improving Qatar’s image around the world.
In addition, he had been one of Netanyahu’s strategists during the various electoral campaigns that the eternal Prime Minister had to face from 2019 to 2022. In May 2024, he decided to leave his post and settle in Belgrade, since he is also one of the main advisors to the pro-Russian Serbian president. Alexandre Vucicposition he still holds.
According to the prosecution, the transfer of confidential information between Einhorn, Urich and Feldstein was constant, thereby confusing personal interests with those of the country’s security.
The chief of staff, in the spotlight
The last leg of this table is Tzachi Braverman. Braverman is nothing more and nothing less than Netanyahu’s chief of staff and was previously accused in 2024 of extorting an IDF officer into altering the minutes of the talks immediately after the October 7 attack.
According to Feldstein KHANBraverman was fully aware of what was happening and even offered to “stop” the investigation in exchange for his silence.
The Prime Minister’s Office has always maintained that all these accusations against Braverman were a “witch hunt” aimed at bringing down Netanyahu.
The two men have worked together since at least 2016 and, in fact, Braverman, considered the Likud leader’s right-hand man, was conveniently transferred last May to London to take up the post of Israeli ambassador to the United Kingdom and keep him away from the Catargate shockwave.
Obviously, the reaction of the opposition was not long in coming. The former prime minister Naftali Bennett He described what happened as “the most serious act of treason” in Israel’s history and said that “whether or not he knows what is happening, Netanyahu must resign.”
The former prime minister also spoke in similar terms. Yair Lapidwho leads the opposition to the Prime Minister in the Knesset.
“Three of Netanyahu’s closest advisors were effectively paid agents of Qatar and Hamas at the height of the war, while our soldiers fought and died from Hamas bullets purchased with Qatari money. This clearly explains why the Israeli government failed in its grand goal in the war: the destruction of Hamas,” Bennett added.
Relations between Qatar, Hamas and Netanyahu have always been confusing and the Prime Minister had to admit in 2024 that he turned a blind eye to the emirate’s payments to the terrorist group, understanding that this caused greater damage to Fatah and the Palestinian Authority.
About The Author
