Israeli Attorney General to Charge Officials in 'Qatargate' with Security Offenses

A significant development has emerged in the 'Qatargate' scandal, as Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara is expected to include security-related charges in the indictment against Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein. According to a report by Baruch Kara on Channel 13 News on Tuesday, the Justice Ministry believes there is sufficient evidence to add the security offense of contact with a foreign agent, even though the final assessments from the Shin Bet and Mossad have not yet been submitted.

In addition to Urich and Feldstein, a former senior Mossad official suspected in the case is also expected to face indictment pending a hearing. About two months ago, Channel 13 reported that the Mossad was responsible for the legal opinion on whether to prosecute Urich, Feldstein, and Sharulik Einhorn, all officials in the Prime Minister's Office, for security offenses. The involvement of Mossad chief Romi Gofman in preparing this opinion was also questioned, given his previous role as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's military secretary. The Justice Ministry and Prime Minister's Office examined whether Gofman had a conflict of interest and should be barred from signing the opinion. The Mossad stated that the issue was under review by the organization's legal advisor.

Meanwhile, discrepancies have surfaced between Netanyahu's and Urich's testimonies regarding the operations of spokespersons in the Prime Minister's Office and whether Feldstein acted with Netanyahu's knowledge. Netanyahu distanced himself from Feldstein, stating, "He cannot say he worked with me personally, that is simply not true," and described Feldstein as "a nobody." Conversely, Urich testified that spokespersons work directly with the Prime Minister and that every statement requires his approval.

This report follows the recent addition of Urich to the indictment in the classified documents leak case involving the German newspaper Bild. The amended indictment against Feldstein and reservist Ari Rosenfeld accuses them of stealing sensitive information from military intelligence systems and publishing it. Urich faces charges including intentional disclosure of classified information harming state security, possession of classified information, and evidence tampering.