A Rishon Lezion court extended the detention of Netanyahu advisers Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein until Friday. Police suspect the two conveyed messages on behalf of Israeli security and diplomatic officials while posing as representatives of Qatari interests.
According to Kan News, a police confrontation between Feldstein and Urich on Tuesday night became heated, with Feldstein accusing Urich of lying and Urich breaking down in tears. It was their first meeting since Feldstein’s October arrest in a separate case involving classified documents.
Urich denied any connection to payments Feldstein received from Israeli businessman Gil Birger and American lobbyist Jay Footlik, both of whom have been questioned as part of the Qatargate investigation. Feldstein reportedly accused Urich of abandoning him during the earlier investigation and failing to defend him.
The attorney general and state prosecutor said in their statement that law enforcement remains committed to protecting press freedom and generally avoids questioning journalists. However, they said the nature of the current investigation requires testimony from journalists to establish key facts. “The journalists who have been summoned are not suspects and are not being asked about their sources,” the statement said.
Meanwhile, associates of Jerusalem Post editor-in-chief Zvika Klein on Wednesday rejected allegations that he received benefits from Qatar as part of a wider investigation involving Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s advisers.
Klein, who was recently released from house arrest, was questioned under caution in the ongoing Qatargate probe. The case centers on claims that senior Israeli figures accepted benefits from Qatari sources in exchange for advancing the Gulf state’s interests.
In a joint statement issued Thursday, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Aisman said a “significant suspicion” had emerged that Klein was part of a mechanism for receiving benefits from Qatar alongside advisers to the prime minister. Klein had initially been summoned to provide open testimony but was later questioned under caution after investigators reportedly identified grounds for deeper inquiry.
Klein’s associates denied the allegations and criticized what they described as unlawful leaks from the investigation. “Zvika never received any benefit or anything else from Qatar or from anyone acting on its behalf,” they said in a statement. “His visit to Qatar was conducted solely in the context of his journalistic work, and that is precisely what he was questioned about.”
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They said Klein adhered to journalistic ethics throughout his coverage of Qatar and noted that The Jerusalem Post published a range of views, including critical perspectives on his reporting. They also emphasized that Klein had not been part of any mechanism as described by prosecutors.
“Klein is a respected and professional journalist who has won numerous awards for his work, particularly in coverage of the Jewish diaspora,” they said. “All his actions were lawful and fell within the scope of journalistic privilege as recognized by Israel’s Supreme Court.” Klein was released Wednesday without conditions. His associates said his phone remains in police custody and is being held without a warrant. They said it remains unclear whether Klein is formally a suspect.