Netanyahu's Advisor Earned Millions From Foreign Clients During War
Translated & summarized from Kan News by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's advisor, Yonatan Urich, earned about 1.2 million shekels from foreign clients, including Qatar, during the recent war. Investigations revealed substantial payments from "Perception" company, with no conflict of interest or security checks conducted on Urich's work. While one judge accepted Urich's defense of being an external consultant, another highlighted the problematic nature of his extensive foreign dealings. The State Prosecutor's Office is reviewing the regulations for external consultants.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- PM Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urich earned 1.2 million shekels from foreign clients during the war.
- Urich received payments from "Perception" company for projects promoting Qatar.
- No conflict of interest or security vetting was conducted on Urich's work.
- The State Prosecutor's Office is working to regulate external consultants.
- Urich stated that all his actions were approved by PM Netanyahu.
Yonatan Urich, an advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, reportedly earned approximately 1.2 million shekels over a nine-month period during the war from projects for foreign clients, including Qatar. The report from Kan News on Sunday highlighted that Urich officially served as an external consultant to the Prime Minister during the conflict but was effectively in a much more significant role.
Investigation materials revealed that Urich received substantial sums from "Perception," a company owned by Shrolik Einhorn. Notably, no conflict of interest arrangements were made for Urich, nor was his work examined from a security perspective. Specific monthly earnings detailed in January 2024 were 68,000 shekels, February 178,000 shekels, March 99,000 shekels, April 79,000 shekels, and May 206,000 shekels. In August and September, he received three salary transfers of 187,000 shekels each.
Of this total, as previously reported, $18,000 was transferred to Urich from "Perception" for the "Lighthouse" project, aimed at promoting Qatar globally. The payment from Qatar is under criminal and security investigation, alongside an examination of the status of external consultants in the Prime Minister's office.
Urich's defense is that he was an external consultant hired by the Likud party, free to take on additional work. Judge Menachem Mizrahi accepted this argument. However, Judge Amit Michals pointed to the problematic nature of this arrangement, given the large scope of work with foreign countries and politicians by an individual closely working with the Prime Minister in various capacities without proper oversight, conflict of interest agreements, or security vetting.
The State Prosecutor's Office is currently undertaking efforts to regulate the status of external consultants. Urich was also quoted regarding the dissemination of information from the cabinet, stating, "Everything is with the approval of Prime Minister Netanyahu." Another statement attributed to an unnamed source criticized Netanyahu for surrounding himself with a "rotten group" and called for the head of the Shin Bet to investigate.
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