State prosecutors are in the final stages of preparing a sweeping indictment in the "Qatargate" affair, with Maj. Gen. (res.) Poli Mordechai, formerly the coordinator of government activities in the territories, and a former senior Mossad official expected to be among those charged. Prosecutors are also considering indicting a wider group of suspects. The final decision still requires approval from the attorney general and the state prosecutor.
Behind the scenes, the case has exposed a dispute between the Shin Bet and the Mossad over the scale of the damage caused to Israel. According to i24NEWS reporter Avishai Grinzig, the Shin Bet recently submitted a formal assessment focused on the potential and actual harm to Israel's foreign relations with Egypt. After that, the Mossad was asked to provide its own assessment of the affair's impact on the sensitive channel with Qatar.
The Mossad's assessment was delivered in recent days but was unusually sent back for further refinements and clarifications before the Justice Ministry makes its decisions. The request comes amid a leak from a closed background briefing by current Mossad chief David Barnea, in which he reportedly said that, in his professional view, the Qatargate affair had not caused damage to national security.
That remark appeared to conflict with the position of other security officials, led by the Shin Bet, and complicated the prosecutors' effort to present a clear legal and security picture. The indictment decision, including exactly which charges will be filed, is expected soon from Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara and State Prosecutor Amit Isman.
