Latest news with #Feldstein
The Independent
18-04-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
A crisis at the Jewish Chronicle shows the toothlessness of the press watchdog
In Tel Aviv, a festering scandal reaches the top of Israeli society. In London, a shrug of a regulator's shoulders. Welcome to the latest twist in the baffling story of the Jewish Chronicle. You may remember the origins of the mystery: a fake story from a dodgy source published by the JC last September. The article, under the byline of Elon Perry, echoed the talking points of Israel 's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and was alleged to be based on documents uncovered in the Gaza Strip. It all turned out to be rubbish. After Israeli journalists exposed the nonsense, the JC announced an inquiry. The very next day – September 13 – the paper concluded its 'thorough investigation'. A two paragraph statement offered no explanation of how it had come to publish such manipulated tosh but assured readers that the paper 'maintains the highest journalistic standards.' Phew. Just imagine if it didn't. The statement said it had removed the story from its website because the paper was not satisfied with some of the claims Perry had made about his background. It did not address the more pertinent question of whether or not the story was true. It wasn't. Three months later, the editor, Jake Wallis Simons, announced that he would be stepping down to write a book. Did the owner of the JC decide that heads must roll? Who's to say, since we are not allowed to know who the ultimate owner of the JC is. It was rescued from almost inevitable insolvency by a consortium led by BBC director Sir Robbie Gibb. But who actually stumped up the £3.5m to keep the title afloat, and why, remains a riddle. The 'leak' to the JC was suspiciously like an equally ropey story planted on the German tabloid Bild. The two events piqued the interest of the Israeli security service, Shin Bet. It didn't take long for them to arrest Eli Feldstein, a spokesman for Netanyahu, who had previously worked for the far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israeli censorship laws prevent us from knowing all the details, but it has been reported that Feldstein is one of five people arrested in connection with the alleged leaking of documents which – hostage relatives claim – may have undermined a ceasefire and the release of hostages. Feldstein has reportedly argued that he was acting on orders from his superiors and has been made a scapegoat. Benny Gantz, who until recently was in Netanyahu's war cabinet, said that if sensitive security information was used for a "political survival campaign', it would not only be a criminal offence, but "a crime against the nation". The revelations also led to intense criticism from the families of the hostages, who said it implied an active campaign to discredit them, calling it "a moral low that has no depth. This is a fatal injury to the remnants of trust between the government and its citizens." The seven-month Shin Bet investigation has widened into an apparently interlinked scandal, dubbed Qatargate, which threatens to bring down Netanyahu. The prime minister has duly sacked Ronen Bar, the head of the agency investigating him. The story is, in other words, complex, extremely murky and explosive. Now consider the response of IPSO, the Independent Press Standards Organisation, which was set up after the Leveson Inquiry and is supposed to monitor standards in the newspapers it regulates. The body, chaired by a former Conservative peer, Lord Faulks, has been monitoring the JC for some time due to the significant number of complaints about the paper dating back to 2019. In 2022, he refused to launch a standards inquiry, arguing a) that the paper had a new owner and b) that the staff had undergone IPSO training. It is not clear that Lord Faulks had any idea who the owner was. Fast-forward to 2025. Once again, IPSO has considered investigating the JC but, once again, decided against it. The JC apparently told IPSO's top sleuths that the explanation for its catastrophic mistake was 'unexpected staff absences.' After talking to JC staff, IPSO felt it had a 'good understanding of what had occurred and why.' It does not let us into the secret. It noted that – as in 2022 – JC staff had agreed to more IPSO training – yes, even more IPSO training. Perhaps including how to make better staff rotas. Nothing to see here, move along now. The Leveson Inquiry sat for 100 days, produced a report of around 2000 pages and cost around £5m. A new regulator, IPSO, was the main outcome – a body with supposedly more bite than its toothless predecessor, the Press Complaints Commission, and the power to launch investigations where there are patterns of editorial concern. It can theoretically fine publishers up to £1m. In fact, in its 10 years of existence, it has launched no standards investigations and fined no one. You would not guess from IPSO's most recent statement that the successful mission to plant a story in the JC appears to have owed more to black ops than rota mishaps. Indeed, there is nothing at all about the massive Shin Bet inquiry into the affair, or the political background in Israel. In deciding not to launch a standards inquiry into the paper in 2022 Lord Faulks took great comfort from the new ownership of the JC. Does he have any idea who they are? If so, should he not tell us? If not, why should he place any trust in them? Did Jake Wallis Simons jump, or was he pushed? If Lord Faulks has asked, he does not tell us. Who appointed the new editor, Daniel Schwammenthal? Companies House tells us that the two current directors are [Lord] Ian Austin, a former Labour MP and Jonathan Kandel, a 'senior tax consultant.' Was it them? Or the owner? Do Messrs Austin and Kandel have overall editorial control? If not, who does? The IPSO report suggests neither man was spoken to. Did anyone speak to Robbie Gibb, who quit shortly before the fabricated report was published? Lord Austin takes a keen interest in the BBC's coverage of Israel, recently demanding that executives who oversaw a recent much-criticised Gaza programme 'should be sacked for the very serious professional and moral failings.' But of the professional and moral failings of the JC he has to date said nothing. Did Lord Faulks's team of investigators speak to any of the four distinguished columnists – David Baddiel, Jonathan Freedland, David Aaronovitch and Hadley Freeman – who refused to go on writing for the paper after the Elon Perry debacle? Their concerns about the standards at the paper went far beyond one dud article. What about speaking to another contributor (for more than 50 years), Professor Colin Schindler, who also decided he could no longer write for the paper after discovering a 'darker side' to the fabricated story? He wrote: 'This whole sorry affair reflected the JC's unquestioning willingness to accept anything that chimed with its sensationalist agenda.' At the time he quit, Freedland wrote: 'The latest scandal brings great disgrace on the paper – publishing fabricated stories and showing only the thinnest form of contrition – but it is only the latest. Too often, the JC reads like a partisan, ideological instrument, its judgements political rather than journalistic.' In his letter to Wallis Simons he added: 'The problem in this case is that there can be no real accountability because the JC is owned by a person or people who refuse to reveal themselves. As you know, I and others have long urged transparency, making that case to you privately – but nothing has happened.' And now nothing has happened all over again. There is still no real accountability. Looks like Lord Leveson was wasting his time.
Yahoo
02-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What is the 'Qatargate' scandal roiling Israel?
Israel has been gripped by allegations linking aides of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to financing from Qatar, which hosts Hamas leaders and helped broker the release of hostages from Gaza. Dubbed "Qatargate" by Israeli media, the reports that sparked the investigation claimed that some of the people closest to Netanyahu were recruited to promote the image of Qatar, an enemy state, in Israel. - What do we know? - At least two of Netanyahu's aides are suspected of receiving payments from the Qatari government to promote Doha's interests in Israel. With the investigation ongoing, some details in the investigation remain unclear. Allegations of ties between members of Netanyahu's close circle and the Qatari government have swirled in the Israeli press since mid-2024. The affair ramped up Monday when two aides, one current and one former, were arrested and Netanyahu was called in for questioning in a probe he slammed as a "political witch hunt". Though the Israeli leader is not a suspect, he is separately on trial over corruption and breach of trust allegations. "They are holding Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein hostage," Netanyahu said in an angry video post after being questioned. An Israeli court on Tuesday extended the detention of the two aides for an additional three days, until Thursday. Qatari officials did not immediately respond for comment when contacted by AFP. - Who are the suspects? - Yonatan Urich, who has been working closely with Netanyahu for most of the past decade, started out as the social media manager for the prime minister's Likud party. Urich also co-owns a media consulting firm called Perception with Yisrael Einhorn, who has also worked with Netanyahu. It is not the first time influential Israeli figures have been accused of receiving payments from Qatar. According to Israeli media reports, Perception was reportedly hired to improve Qatar's image ahead of the 2022 World Cup, though Urich and the firm denied the claims at the time. Eli Feldstein is already under investigation for leaking classified documents to journalists during the short time he worked unofficially as the prime minister's military affairs spokesman. According to reports, Netanyahu was seeking to offer Feldstein a more permanent role but after failing to receive the necessary security clearance, he remained an external contractor. Last month, an investigation by Israel's Channel 12 alleged that while working for Netanyahu, Feldstein received a salary from Jay Footlik, a known US lobbyist for Qatar. Further reports on Monday said that Feldstein promoted Qatar to Israeli journalists and arranged trips for them to Doha. Footlik owns a consulting firm, Third Circle Inc., registered under the US Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) as working for Qatar. An Israeli court on Tuesday said suspicions were related to Third Circle and funds aimed at "projecting a positive image of Qatar" in relation to its role as a mediator for a truce and hostage release agreement in Gaza. A final name that has been linked to the affair is Israeli businessman Gil Birger, who this month told Israel's state broadcaster that he had been asked by Footlik to pay Feldstein through his company. - What's the significance? - Jonathan Rynhold, head of political studies at Bar-Ilan University, told AFP that the affair "ties all bad things relating to Netanyahu together in one package." "This links Netanyahu directly to the policy of appeasing Hamas," Rynhold said, referring to Israel allowing Qatar to send millions of dollars in cash into Gaza that many now believe strengthened Hamas and enabled it to conduct its October 7, 2023 attack. Qatar has previously rejected the claims as false, saying they were driven by internal Israeli politics. Still, the affair has piled more pressure on Netanyahu, who has clashed with the judiciary over his bid to sack Ronen Bar, the head of the Shin Bet domestic security agency. Bar's relationship with the Netanyahu government soured after he blamed the executive for the security fiasco of Hamas's October 2023 attack, and crucially, following a Shin Bet probe into Qatargate. - What next for Netanyahu? - It is unclear how Netanyahu will manage the fallout from the affair. "It is too early to say how it will develop," said Professor Gideon Rahat of the Hebrew University. "Will he need to sacrifice these two people? If he sacrifices them, will they open their mouths?" Rahat said. For now, he is fighting back and "framing it as though the secret service is after him because he wants to kick out the head of the secret service", Rahat added. "In a normal country, if the prime minister had spies in his office, he would resign, but we are not in normal times." reg/acc/ser
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Netanyahu accuses Israeli police of trying to 'topple' his government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Israeli police of trying to "topple" his government over what he believes is a "political witch hunt." In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu claimed the police had no evidence against the two aides who were arrested. Netanyahu was summoned on Monday to testify as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial ties between his office and Qatar. The prime minister claimed that he was questioned for an hour before he demanded to see evidence. He said there was nothing. Netanyahu Seeks To Fire Top Security Official Amid Internal Power Struggle Eli Feldstein and Yonatan Urich, the aides Netanyahu named in the video, were allegedly arrested on Monday in connection with the investigation. According to reports, Feldstein – a former member of Netanyahu's team – is suspected of passing messages to journalists on behalf of Qatar while working in the prime minister's office. The messages Feldstein is accused of sending to the media allegedly pertained to Qatar's role in negotiating the return of Israeli hostages, among other things, Israel HaYom reported. However, the case remains under a gag order, so charges against Feldstein and Urich have not been officially released. The Washington Post reported, citing Israeli media, that Urich and Feldstein are accused of contact with a foreign agent, bribery and fraud. Read On The Fox News App Netanyahu To Testify In Corruption Trial Amid Multiple Conflicts The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Tuesday that its editor-in-chief, Zivka Klein, was questioned by police in connection with the Qatar probe. Klein has previously denied having a connection with Feldstein after an Israeli outlet reported that the former Netanyahu aide arranged a trip to Qatar for the journalist. Netanyahu says the probe, often referred to as "Qatargate," is intended to stop him from firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who heads the Israeli equivalent of the FBI. Last month, Netanyahu announced that he would seek to oust Bar over alleged "ongoing distrust." However, some suspect that it is related to the Shin Bet's assessment of Oct. 7, which "pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre," the Times of Israel reported. Bar slammed Netanyahu's "expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally illegitimate expectation," according to the Times of Israel. Israel's High Court froze Bar's removal, which was set for April 8, but allowed Netanyahu to interview potential replacements. Netanyahu's office announced on Monday that he had tapped a former Israeli Navy commander, Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit, to replace Bar. "Sharvit served in the IDF for 36 years, including five years as commander of the Israel Navy. In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defense of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Netanyahu's office tweeted. Fox News Digital's Alex Nitzberg and Yonat Friling contributed to this article source: Netanyahu accuses Israeli police of trying to 'topple' his government
Middle East Eye
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Israel's 'Qatargate' scandal deepens with arrest of Netanyahu aides
Israeli police arrested two close advisers of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, as the so-called 'Qatargate' scandal deepened in Israel. Jonathan Urich, Netanyahu's senior media advisor, and Eli Feldstein, his military spokesperson, were arrested as part of an investigation into ties between the Israeli prime minister's office and Qatari officials. The two officials were arrested on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent, money laundering, accepting bribes, fraud, and breach of trust. Netanyahu, who was in court on Monday testifying in his own corruption and fraud cases, was forced to leave the courtroom to testify in the affair involving his confidants. In addition to Netanyahu, a journalist, whose name cannot currently be published, was summoned for questioning on suspicion of involvement in the affair. According to Haaretz, the police will soon summon other journalists accused of being involved. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters As of today, the investigation is under a gag order, so many details have not yet been disclosed. But according to reports in Israel, Urich, Feldstein and other suspects are alleged to have sent messages to journalists on behalf of the Qatari government. The messages allegedly looked as though they were sent on behalf of the Israeli prime minister's office. Eran Etzion, a former deputy head of the National Security Council, told Middle East Eye that it was still too early to determine the severity of the affair, but 'to the extent that Urich and Feldstein worked in the prime minister's office and for officials in Qatar, they have been exposed to classified material'. 'At the highest legal level, it could be the use of double agents in the prime minister's office, which would be defined as harm to state security and treason,' two of the most serious accusations in Israel. 'Qatargate' The affair, dubbed 'Qatargate' by the Israeli media, was first exposed by Haaretz in November. According to the Israeli newspaper, Urich, Netanyahu's longtime adviser, and Srulik Einhorn, another adviser to the prime minister, were employed by Qatar ahead of the 2022 World Cup, which the Gulf state hosted. The two, through Perception, their media consulting firm, allegedly provided services to whitewash Qatar's reputation and brand it as a country that aspires to achieve 'peace and stability in the world'. In addition, they worked to promote the country's public relations in Israel by inviting Israeli journalists to Qatar. 'For a long time, Netanyahu has been waging an all-out war against the law enforcement system' - Eran Etzion, former deputy head of Israel's National Security Council In February, Channel 12 News revealed that Netanyahu's military spokesman, Feldstein, was also involved in the affair. According to the report, Feldstein was employed by a private company funded by Qatar to improve its image in Israel vis a vis its role in the negotiations between Israel and Hamas, which Qatar is mediating. Feldstein has also been arrested in the past on suspicion of delivering classified documents relating to Hamas to the Jewish Chronicle, a British newspaper, and Bild, the German newspaper. These briefings were intended to boost Netanyahu's image and were aimed at influencing Israeli public opinion in relation to his handling of the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. It later turned out that the reports published by Bild and the Jewish Chronicle were false. The Jewish Chronicle was forced as a result to remove a series of articles from its website, sparking a row that led to the resignation of four of its most prominent columnists and to questions being asked about the involvement of Robbie Gibb, a non-executive director at the BBC. Last month, Channel 13 revealed that as part of Feldstein's work for Qatar during the war on Gaza, he organised a visit to Qatar by Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of the right-wing Jerusalem Post newspaper. Feldstein, who was not paid by the Israeli prime minister's office while working there, was reportedly employed by Jay Footlik, an American lobbyist who works for the Qatari government. Netanyahu against the Shin Bet Following the many press reports on this, attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara ordered the opening of a criminal investigation at the end of last month, following a 'security check' conducted by the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security agency. Regarding Netanyahu, Etzion said, 'If he knew about the employment of his aides by Qatar, then he is in [a] bad situation, and if he didn't, then his situation is no less serious.' 'Netanyahu has his back to the wall. He is desperate, dangerous and unrestrained' - Eran Etzion 'For a long time, Netanyahu has been waging an all-out war against the law enforcement system. Now, law enforcement agencies are weakened,' Etzion said. 'If in the past such accusations would have led to the prime minister's resignation, today this is not the case.' 'It is difficult to estimate the extent to which the law enforcement agencies will succeed or make the effort to render Netanyahu's tenure as prime minister untenable.' Netanyahu has categorically rejected the accusations against his advisers. A statement issued by his party, Likud, called the investigation "a new low in the political hunt to bring down a right-wing prime minister and to prevent the dismissal of the failed head of the Shin Bet". "This is not an investigation, this is not law enforcement. This is an attempt to assassinate democracy and an attempt to replace the will of the people with the rule of the bureaucrats," the Likud statement continued. Earlier this month, Netanyahu announced his intention to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, in what is perceived in Israel as an attempt to thwart the intelligence agency's further investigation into the affair. The dismissal of the head of the Shin Bet was frozen by the Supreme Court pending a hearing at the beginning of next month. Since the 'Qatargate' affair came to light, Netanyahu has been promoting messages like those of his close ally, US President Donald Trump, about how the "Deep State" is involved in running the country. In a recent TikTok video, Netanyahu said that the "leftist" Deep State wants "me and the government to be a flower pot". Gaza genocide: How the hell did this happen, asks Pankaj Mishra Read More » Yesterday, Netanyahu released a video in which he said that he was "amazed, I mean, I understood that there was a political investigation here, but I didn't know to what extent. They are holding Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein hostage". Netanyahu's response has drawn criticism in Israel, including from families of those held captive by Hamas, considering his use of the word "hostage" in reference to his advisers. "Netanyahu does not have the absolute support of all the members of the coalition in this affair," Etzion told MEE. Avi Dichter, agriculture minister and former head of the Shin Bet, said the scandal is serious and needs to be investigated. "Netanyahu has his back to the wall," Etzion said. "He is desperate, dangerous and unrestrained. His entire system of considerations is based on this." Netanyahu will not hesitate to 'carry out military moves in order to remove the affair from the public agenda', Etzion told MEE.
Fox News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Netanyahu accuses Israeli police of trying to 'topple' his government
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Israeli police of trying to "topple" his government over what he believes is a "political witch hunt." In a video statement released on Monday, Netanyahu claimed the police had no evidence against the two aides who were arrested. Netanyahu was summoned on Monday to testify as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged financial ties between his office and Qatar. The prime minister claimed that he was questioned for an hour before he demanded to see evidence. He said there was nothing. Eli Feldstein and Yonatan Urich, the aides Netanyahu named in the video, were allegedly arrested on Monday in connection with the investigation. According to reports, Feldstein – a former member of Netanyahu's team – is suspected of passing messages to journalists on behalf of Qatar while working in the prime minister's office. The messages Feldstein is accused of sending to the media allegedly pertained to Qatar's role in negotiating the return of Israeli hostages, among other things, Israel HaYom reported. However, the case remains under a gag order, so charges against Feldstein and Urich have not been officially released. The Washington Post reported, citing Israeli media, that Urich and Feldstein are accused of contact with a foreign agent, bribery and fraud. The Jerusalem Post confirmed on Tuesday that its editor-in-chief, Zivka Klein, was questioned by police in connection with the Qatar probe. Klein has previously denied having a connection with Feldstein after an Israeli outlet reported that the former Netanyahu aide arranged a trip to Qatar for the journalist. Netanyahu says the probe, often referred to as "Qatargate," is intended to stop him from firing Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, who heads the Israeli equivalent of the FBI. Last month, Netanyahu announced that he would seek to oust Bar over alleged "ongoing distrust." However, some suspect that it is related to the Shin Bet's assessment of Oct. 7, which "pointed to a policy led by the government, and the person who has headed it, for years, with emphasis on the year preceding the massacre," the Times of Israel reported. Bar slammed Netanyahu's "expectation of a duty of personal loyalty, the purpose of which contradicts the public interest, is a fundamentally illegitimate expectation," according to the Times of Israel. Israel's High Court froze Bar's removal, which was set for April 8, but allowed Netanyahu to interview potential replacements. Netanyahu's office announced on Monday that he had tapped a former Israeli Navy commander, Vice Adm. Eli Sharvit, to replace Bar. "Sharvit served in the IDF for 36 years, including five years as commander of the Israel Navy. In that position, he led the force building of the maritime defense of the territorial waters and conducted complex operations against Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran," Netanyahu's office tweeted.
