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Netanyahu to Sue Ex-Aide Over 'Qatari Agent' Accusation

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will file a NIS 500,000 defamation lawsuit against his former chief of staff, Yoav Horowitz, over allegations that Netanyahu acted as a Qatari agent. The Likud party announced the legal action, describing Horowitz's remarks as severe and false incitement, and stating that those who lie and incite will pay.

4 newsrooms · 2 languages · since 15 Oct, 23:47

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Netanyahu to Sue Ex-Aide Over 'Qatari Agent' Accusation — Illustration by baba

What happened

01Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will file a NIS 500,000 defamation lawsuit against his former chief of staff, Yoav Horowitz.
02The Likud party announced the lawsuit following media interviews where Horowitz accused Netanyahu of being a Qatari agent.
03Yoav Horowitz is a founding member of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, a potential rival in the upcoming election.
04The accusations relate to the Qatargate investigation into whether Netanyahu's top aides acted as paid lobbyists for Qatar.
05Horowitz claimed Netanyahu sent his adviser, Yonatan Urich, to meet with Qatari official Ali al-Thawadi in Europe.
06Netanyahu denies being informed about the meetings and has dismissed the Qatargate probe as a witch hunt.

Horowitz, who served as Netanyahu's chief of staff from 2016 to 2019, is a founding member of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party. In recent media interviews, including on Channel 12, Horowitz made the accusations in connection with the Qatargate investigation, which probes allegations that top aides to the prime minister acted as paid lobbyists for Qatar during the Gaza war.

According to Israel National News, Horowitz claimed that Netanyahu sent his adviser, Yonatan Urich, to meet with a Qatari official. Channel 12 reported that Urich met with senior Qatari official Ali al-Thawadi twice in Europe in July 2024. Netanyahu has denied being informed by Urich about these meetings and has previously dismissed the Qatargate investigation as a witch hunt.

Summarized by baba from the reports of 4 newsrooms. Updated 21:11

Latest report: The Times of Israel. Read The Times of Israel’s original