Mossad Chief Gofman Recuses Himself from Qatargate Investigation Over Conflict of Interest

Mossad Chief Roman Gofman has decided not to involve himself in the Qatargate affair due to a conflict of interest stemming from his personal acquaintance with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urich, according to a report by Channel 12. This decision was part of managing Gofman's conflict of interest, which he is not obligated to disclose publicly. Meanwhile, the Israeli prosecution awaited a security assessment from Mossad to determine if the Qatargate case posed a threat to national security. The assessment was delayed following Gofman's appointment, leading Mossad to assign another professional within the agency to handle and sign off on the matter.

About a month ago, Netanyahu gave an open testimony in the investigation after his close advisor Yonatan Urich and former spokesman Eli Feldstein were arrested on March 31, 2025. During his testimony, Netanyahu sought to minimize his direct work connections with those involved and claimed ignorance of their private dealings. He also initially did not recall interviewing Feldstein for the Likud spokesman role, later acknowledging it only after the scandal broke. Feldstein’s testimony contradicted Netanyahu’s, describing a direct relationship and a task from Netanyahu to manage public discourse about responsibility for the October 7 events, aiming to reduce media pressure on the Prime Minister.

The Qatargate scandal centers on allegations of illicit ties and money transfers from the Qatari government to consultants in the Prime Minister’s office during the war. The case emerged after revelations that Feldstein, who served as security spokesman for Netanyahu, simultaneously promoted Qatar’s image amid hostage negotiations. This led the Shin Bet and police to launch a criminal investigation. Suspicions include indirect financial transfers from Qatar through American lobbyist Jay Potlik and Israeli businessman Gil Birger’s holding company, allegedly funding Feldstein’s salary. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of dollars were reportedly transferred via companies linked to Yonatan Urich, Netanyahu’s communications advisor.