Netanyahu Held Secret Meeting Post-October 7 Amid Qatargate Probe
Translated & summarized from Cursorinfo by baba
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a secret meeting in summer 2024 with Sh., a former Mossad official and suspect in the "Qatargate" affair, months after the October 7 attacks. Sh. asked Netanyahu to temper criticism of Qatar, a country allegedly funding Hamas. Investigators suspect Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urikh helped arrange the meeting, though Urikh denies this. The "Lighthouse" project, aimed at improving Qatar's image, was discussed.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a secret meeting with "Qatargate" suspect Sh. in summer 2024.
- Sh., a former senior Mossad official, asked Netanyahu to moderate criticism of Qatar.
- Investigators suspect Netanyahu's advisor Yonatan Urikh helped arrange the meeting.
- The meeting occurred months after the October 7th attacks and was not publicly disclosed.
- The "Lighthouse" project, aimed at improving Qatar's image, was discussed during related negotiations.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a secret meeting with a key figure in the "Qatargate" affair, identified as Sh., a former senior Mossad official and suspect, several months after the October 7th attacks. The meeting, which took place in the summer of 2024 and was not on the official schedule, was reported by Channel 12. Sh. is considered the highest-ranking Israeli involved in Qatar's influence project in Israel.
During the private meeting, Sh. reportedly asked Netanyahu to moderate harsh statements made by some government members towards Qatar. At the time, Netanyahu and other ministers maintained a hardline stance on the emirate, while Sh. was actively promoting Qatari interests in Israel. Sh. previously held a senior position in the Mossad, focusing on the UAE before shifting to business dealings with Qatar, including involvement in projects related to the World Cup in that country, continuing this work after October 7.
Investigators suspect Sh. also facilitated meetings between Netanyahu's close advisor Yonatan Urikh and Israel Einhorn with Ali al-Tawadi, a senior Qatari official close to the emir. Sh. maintained close ties with Urikh and had organized a meeting for him and Einhorn with al-Tawadi weeks before the meeting with the Prime Minister. Discussions at negotiations in London, Paris, and Berlin reportedly centered on the "Lighthouse" project, which, according to investigations, became a tool for improving Qatar's image after October 7, despite Qatar's alleged funding of Hamas terrorists.
Lahav-433 investigators suspect that Yonatan Urikh, who worked in the Prime Minister's office and was involved in the Qatari project, may have helped arrange Netanyahu's meeting with Sh. However, Urikh denied during questioning that he received such a request or that Sh. asked him to arrange meetings with the Prime Minister. Separately, Ronen Bergman and Yuval Rubowitz examined a 55-page report published by Netanyahu in February 2026 in response to a state comptroller's inquiry.
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