In a dramatic development following the arrest of two key members of his staff, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu provided testimony yesterday in the emerging "Qatar-gate" case. The testimony, which lasted significantly shorter than the initially allocated four hours, has intensified political tensions as Netanyahu forcefully condemned the investigation as politically motivated.

Netanyahu was questioned by Deputy Commissioner Momi Meshulam, who previously led the investigations in cases 1000 and 2000, which resulted in indictments against the Prime Minister. Notably, Netanyahu was summoned as a witness, not as a suspect, meaning investigators cannot use his statements against him without formally changing his status to that of a suspect under caution.

Following his testimony, Netanyahu released a video statement attacking law enforcement agencies and referring to his detained staff members, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, as "hostages" – a particularly charged term given that 59 actual hostages remain captive in Gaza.

"The moment I was asked to testify, I said 'I'm clearing my schedule. I want to give testimony now. Now! Not waiting even a moment'", Netanyahu stated in the video. "The police said 'we need four hours' but after one hour they ran out of questions. They took a break for an hour and a half, returned for ten minutes. I said 'show me material, show me something,' but they had nothing to show.".

"I was shocked. I understood this was a political investigation, but I didn't know to what extent. They're holding Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein as hostages", continued the Prime Minister, specifically mentioning his spokesperson who had not been referenced in the previous Likud statement. "They're making their lives miserable over absolutely nothing. This is a political hunt. It's intended for just one purpose – to prevent the dismissal of the Shin Bet chief as if there's some scandal here. There's nothing here. And also to bring down a right-wing Prime Minister. A political investigation, a political hunt, that's what's happening here. There's nothing else here".

Police recorded Netanyahu's testimony with cameras and recording devices. At the beginning of the questioning, the Prime Minister was accompanied by his attorney, Amit Hadad, and his Chief of Staff, Tzachi Braverman, but at some point, they left, and Netanyahu remained alone. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara authorized summoning Netanyahu to testify, and his ongoing trial session ended earlier than expected as a result.

The Case and Suspects

Feldstein, Netanyahu's former spokesperson, and Urich, his advisor, are suspected of contact with a foreign agent, bribery, breach of trust, and tax offenses. According to police sources, these suspicions have strengthened in recent days. In addition to them, a journalist was also called to give open testimony, which later turned into questioning under caution. He is suspected of contact with a foreign agent.

The suspicion strengthening within police circles is that Feldstein worked in some capacity with Qatar, maintaining regular contact with Qatar lobbyist Jay Footlik through a business associate who introduced them. Through this channel, messages were allegedly relayed to the Israeli public and to the Prime Minister's inner circle. According to the suspicions, Urich was aware of this due to his responsibility for communications in the Prime Minister's environment and his knowledge of the actions of employees under him.

Beyond the journalist already questioned, additional journalists are expected to be summoned who are suspected of being asked to convey various messages. The arrests of Urich and Feldstein occurred shortly after Netanyahu announced his intention to appoint Major General (Res.) Eli Sharvit as head of the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency).

Shin Bet Controversy

The Shin Bet is one of the agencies involved in the investigation due to aspects related to Qatar. Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar claimed in a letter submitted to the government meeting discussing his dismissal that this was one of the reasons Netanyahu sought to fire him, stating that the decision was "dipped in conflict of interest".

Hours after Netanyahu's announcement, it already appeared that despite this, Sharvit would likely not be appointed to the position. The background for this is the fact that Sharvit participated in several protests against the judicial overhaul. A source close to Netanyahu claimed, however, that this was not the reason for the zigzag. According to him, Netanyahu was aware that Sharvit had been at a demonstration and decided to appoint him despite this.

The rationale was that Sharvit was not a regular participant, did not take the stage, did not give speeches – and that a person is allowed to express an opinion. However, those in the Prime Minister's circle said that an article Sharvit wrote in "Calcalist" against U.S. President Donald Trump two months ago was an incident that could not be overlooked. Sources close to Netanyahu said they were not familiar with this article, and they claim this is the reason the appointment is on track to be canceled.

As this situation continues to unfold, the political implications of the "Qatar-gate" case and its intersection with Netanyahu's leadership decisions remain at the center of Israeli public discourse, with further developments expected in the coming days as Urich and Feldstein's detention hearings approach.