Qatar Denies "Qatargate" Allegations, Blames Israel for Fabricated Documents

Qatar has issued a strong rebuttal to a recent New Yorker article detailing alleged covert influence campaigns, dismissing the findings as a politically motivated Israeli smear campaign. The Qatari Ministry of Communications stated it possesses "solid evidence" that various actors, including those on the Israeli far-right, have been involved in creating and disseminating fabricated documents to implicate Qatar. The New Yorker report suggested a covert influence campaign originating from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office, alleging that political consultant Israel Einhorn and Qatari lobbyist in Washington, Jay Putterman, worked to improve Qatar's image in Israel post-October 7th. The report further claimed that Netanyahu's senior advisor, Yonatan Urich, was employed by Einhorn's firm "Perception" and received payments channeled through an intermediary company. Former Prime Minister's spokesperson, Eli Feldstein, was reportedly recruited to disseminate talking points to Israeli media, including false claims attributed to "senior American officials" that Egypt was unfit to mediate hostage deals, positioning Qatar as the sole capable mediator. The article also touched upon the leak of a classified document to the German newspaper Bild, intended to quell public protests after the deaths of six hostages in Rafah. Feldstein stated he personally presented the document to Netanyahu and received approval to release it to the media. Former Mossad chief Tamir Pardo was quoted in the article expressing disbelief, stating, "How is it possible that the Prime Minister doesn't know that his people are working for a foreign country? For me, this is treason." The report also included claims from former Mossad official Udi Levy, who alleged Netanyahu himself received funds from Qatar in 2012 and 2018, accusations Netanyahu has vehemently denied as a "hoax" and has pursued defamation lawsuits over. Qatar's response asserted the article was based on "false and forged information," calling it "more like an amateur blog than reporting from a reputable media outlet." Qatar reiterated that aid, including funds, medicine, and fuel, was directed to civilians in Gaza through mechanisms coordinated with Israeli authorities and international partners, with all funds passing through Israel. Qatar concluded that if any funding reached Hamas, it was not from Qatar, and responsibility lay with Israel, which oversaw the process under various Israeli governments and through its intelligence agencies.