The Shin Bet has confirmed that they will be investigating the suspicions of ties between Israeli senior officials in the Prime Minister's Office and Qatar, Israeli media reported on Saturday evening.
The Shin Bet noted in an official letter that was sent to MK Gilad Kariv that the investigation was underway in other government ministries as well.
They emphasized in the letter that they are tasked with "thwarting espionage incidents and exposing political secrets," as well as confirming the "initial examination" of the claims.
This comes after a report on Channel 12 on Tuesday that Eli Feldstein - a member of the prime minister's media team who is currently under house arrest for leaking classified documents to a German newspaper - had provided public relations services to Qataris while working in the PMO.
Prime Minister's Office responded
The Prime Minister's Office responded to the Shin Bet's letter on Saturday evening.
"Did the Shin Bet investigate MK Kariv's serious criminal leak from the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, even though a year has passed since the offense was committed?" the PMO's response said. "Did the Shin Bet investigate the contacts of Benny Gantz and Ram Ben Barak's "Fifth Dimension" company to sell sensitive information technology to Keter without authorization?
"We are accustomed to false accusations against the Prime Minister's Office; such as secretly recording an officer, falsifying protocols, and blackmailing an officer with treats - all of which turned out to be take news. This will be the case this time too."
Yair Golan's response
"The Shin Bet's decision to open an investigation following the Democratic Party's demand to investigate the business and financial ties of the prime minister's associates with Qatar is a necessary step in a serious case involving apparent suspicion of treason," Yair Golan, Chairman of the Democratic Party, said in a statement on X.
"It is not possible for people who have financial interests with a foreign country to be involved in managing matters critical to Israel's national security. All those involved in this affair must be immediately removed from any government institution, and certainly from any occupation related to the Prime Minister's Office and negotiations for the release of the hostages.
החלטת השב”כ לפתוח בבדיקה בעקבות דרישת מפלגת הדמוקרטים לחקור את הקשרים העסקיים והכספיים של מקורבי ראש הממשלה עם קטאר היא צעד הכרחי בפרשה חמורה שיש בה חשד לכאורה של בגידה. לא ייתכן שאנשים שיש להם אינטרסים כספיים עם מדינה זרה יהיו מעורבים בניהול עניינים קריטיים לביטחון הלאומי של…
— Yair Golan - יאיר גולן (@YairGolan1) February 15, 2025
"The Shin Bet must thoroughly investigate not only the prime minister's associates, but also the prime minister himself: Was he aware of these connections? Did he approve of them? And perhaps even worse - did he himself receive funds, directly or indirectly? This investigation must not be allowed to be hidden or scuttled. This is about Israel's security and the lives of the kidnapped.
"I want to be clear: Under these circumstances, the Prime Minister cannot fire the head of the Shin Bet nor demand his dismissal. A Prime Minister, whose very tenure is in question morally and publicly, must not be allowed to exploit his power to sabotage the investigation process. The Shin Bet must continue its work without fear, with full responsibility for the national interest and the security of the State of Israel."
What was the report?
According to the Channel 12 report, Feldstein was hired by an international company funded by Qatar to promote the country's image in Israel based on its role in hostage negotiations.
Feldstein allegedly worked on behalf of the company at the same time as his work in the Prime Minister’s Office. This gave reporters the mistaken impression that his messaging on Qatar was from an official Israeli source, according to Channel 12.
The report could not be independently verified, and it joined a prior report by Haaretz in late November that two other members of the media team, Yonatan Urich and Srulik Einhorn, had provided public relations services to Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
Urich and Einhorn were also involved in the Feldstein case – Urich has been interrogated by the police for his role in the leak, and Einhorn, who currently lives in Europe, is wanted for interrogation.