In recent days, Israeli authorities have received a significant amount of documents raising suspicions that several individuals involved in the Qatargate affair accepted payments in exchange for promoting Qatari interests in Israel and abroad.
The documents, submitted to the Tax Authority and the Israel Money Laundering and Terror Financing Prohibition Authority, include information about British companies and both Israeli and foreign businessmen who allegedly acted as intermediaries in financial transfers.
Investigators believe the transactions were designed to conceal their Qatari origin and evade taxes on amounts reaching hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The suspected offenses include money laundering and terror financing involving a country—Qatar—that has no diplomatic ties or tax agreements with Israel.
The investigation is focusing on a number of businesspeople believed to have facilitated the transfers, as well as several staffers in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. A senior official told Ynet that the submission of documents alone does not prove tax offenses were committed but the suspicions merit thorough investigation.
The Tax Authority declined to comment, saying it “does not address ongoing investigations nor confirm or deny their existence.” Its director, Shai Aharonovitz, added: “As a matter of policy, I am not involved in investigations and do not receive updates on any case.”
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Violations of anti-money laundering and terror financing laws are considered serious in Israel, with offenders in similar cases previously receiving prison sentences. Law enforcement often focuses on such financial crimes, which are sometimes easier to prosecute than other offenses, especially when tax evasion is involved.
Separately, Prime Minister Netanyahu’s close adviser, Jonatan Urich, was questioned again on Thursday by the Israel Police’s Lahav 433 anti-corruption unit.
Police say they possess numerous WhatsApp messages between Urich and Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu’s former spokesperson, who is suspected of leaking a classified document to the German newspaper Bild.
Feldstein told investigators that Urich was behind several leaks of sensitive documents and security information. Police are now considering naming Urich as a central suspect in the case.