Latest news with #Qatargate
Memri
5 days ago
- Politics
- Memri
The Qatar Weekly Update (QWU) – Part Of The Qatar Monitor Project (QMP) – No. 29, July 25, 2025
Left to right: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Syrian leader Ahmed Al-Sharaa, Qatari Emir Hamad bin Khalifa Aal Thani, victims of massacre of Druze in Suwayda, Syria. 1. MEMRI Daily Brief No. 817, Rising Again To The Historical Moment: "It is far more difficult to do this when your Islamist enemies – Erdoğan, Qatar, and now Al-Sharaa, aka Al-Jolani – pretend to be your allies. There is no propaganda trick that they would not play to pretend to be America's friends. By now, Qatar's trick is well known: Create a problem, like supporting the Taliban for years up to their takeover of Afghanistan with American casualties, then help move American troops to safety, in what Trump called the 'the greatest foreign policy humiliation' in U.S. history. Qatar does this everywhere on the planet. It supports Hamas, which committed the atrocities of October 7, and then presents itself as a mediator. Qatar supports every Islamist terrorist organization against its Westernized opponents." By Yigal Carmon, July 22, 2025. 2. MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 12085, The Qatar Air Force Monitor (QAFM) Project – Part II, July 18, 2025. 3. Reagan's Secretary of Education Joins Qatar's Payroll, The Free Press, July 22, 2025. 4. Why Al-Jazeera Should Be Designated As A Foreign Terrorist Organization, Gatestone Institute, July 21, 2025. 5. The Dangerous Illusion Of Friendship With Qatar And Other Hostile 'Allies," JNS, July 18, 2025. 6. Qatargate: Israeli Police Will Travel To Serbia For Legal Deposition For 'Qatargate' Suspect Einhorn – Report, The Jerusalem Post, July 20, 2025. 7. Turkey-Qatar Alliance Seen As Growing Threat To Israel, Israel Hayom, July 17, 2025. * Yigal Carmon is Founder and President of MEMRI.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Israeli Police will travel to Serbia for legal deposition for 'Qatargate' suspect Srulik Einhorn
Walla reported that both the Israel Police and the Justice Ministry have refrained from formally approaching Serbian authorities to advance the deposition request. Israel Police's Lahav 433 anti-corruption authorities will travel to Serbia this week to conduct a legal deposition with Srulik Einhorn, a central actor in the "Qatargate" affair and the classified documents leak involving German tabloid Bild, Channel 13 reported on Sunday. Walla reported that both the Israel Police and the Justice Ministry have refrained from formally approaching Serbian authorities to advance the deposition request. According to Channel 13, Israeli officials have been in contact with Serbian counterparts in an effort to question Einhorn, formerly a close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The deposition is expected to take several days and will be conducted by both Israeli and Serbian investigators, Channel 13 noted. Einhorn has not returned to Israel since the investigation began, and previous reports to depose him in Serbia were unsuccessful. He is suspected of fraudulently receiving money from Qatar as part of a public relations campaign with the goal of improving the state's image. Einhorn allegedly acted as liaison between PMO, German tabloid in document leak Additionally, Einhorn allegedly acted as a liaison between the Prime Minister's Office and Bild, a German tabloid that published classified documents reportedly leaked from within Israel's security establishment. Channel 13 reported that while Einhorn remains in Serbia, Israeli officials can wait for his return, or new information may arise from legal proceedings. Solve the daily Crossword
Euractiv
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Euractiv
Belgium under growing scrutiny over stalled EU corruption probes
Frustration is mounting over Belgium's limited resources and judicial missteps in high-profile corruption cases with ties to MEPs and officials like Ursula von der Leyen, as EU institutions and law enforcement agencies urge the country to step up its efforts. Speaking in the Belgian parliament on Thursday, Interior Minister Bernard Quintin acknowledged the gravity of the situation, telling lawmakers that just 35 officers are assigned to Belgium's central office for combating organised economic and financial crime – with half their workload now driven by investigations led by the European Public Prosecutor's Office, or EPPO. The country's anti-corruption unit is only marginally better staffed, with only 64 investigators nationwide, he added. While Quintin insisted that 'the fight against corruption and fraud is an absolute priority,' EPPO chief Laura Kövesi delivered a far more urgent warning earlier this week. In an interview with De Standaard and Le Soir, she described Belgium as a critical node for organised financial crime, but its effort to tackle this was "a joke." 'This is no longer just a Belgian problem,' she said. 'Criminal groups use Belgium as a major platform for their operations. And as host to most EU institutions, Belgium carries a special responsibility.' EPPO is currently handling 79 investigations in the country, including probes on politically sensitive cases, such as von der Leyen's Pfizergate and alleged misuse of EU funds by key players in the European Parliament. Those under scrutiny include the chamber's most powerful group, the European People's Party, the defunct far-right group Identity and Democracy, and several individual MEPs. EXCLUSIVE: EU prosecutors open probe into far-right group linked to Le Pen Media reports allege €4.3 million in EU funds was misused by the far-right Identity and Democracy group from 2019-2024. The quality and discretion of Belgian investigations are also drawing sharp criticism. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola last month pledged to revise procedures with the Belgian police for lifting parliamentary immunity, following complaints that EU lawmakers' reputations are being tarnished by flimsy allegations made public before proper review. This criticism was echoed by MEPs this week as they debated whether to lift the immunities of their peers in a closed-door meeting of the Parliament's legal affairs committee. According to three people familiar with the discussions, both the conservative, socialist, and liberal groups urged the Belgian authorities to build up their cases and share more serious evidence before presenting it to their peers. All three EU groups have MEPs targeted by the so-called Huawei gate investigation. Belgium's chequered track record on high-profile cases only adds to the unease. The 2022 Qatargate scandal – alleging a cash-for-influence network tied to foreign powers like Morocco and Qatar – is lingering amid internal legal challenges that have delayed the investigation, which remains ongoing, with no potential outcome in sight. Behind the scenes, Belgian officials have long argued the country cannot shoulder the burden of transnational corruption investigations alone. Former Prime Minister Alexander De Croo supported expanding EPPO's authority in 2024, with backing from some EU countries. The idea is now getting traction at the Parliament, as key policy talks on the overhaul of the EU's anti-fraud architecture are on track. A highly critical OECD report last year highlighted systemic failings in Belgium's justice system. Since 2016, the country has secured only three convictions for transnational corruption, involving five individuals – and no company has ever been sanctioned. Many recent cases, the report added, resulted in acquittals due to procedural delays. The report also flagged severe capacity issues: Brussels' investigative judges handle an average of 150 cases each, and just three federal prosecutors are assigned to transnational corruption cases – a workload described as unsustainable by the magistrates. Asked about ongoing issues like understaffing in the police, a spokesperson to the Belgian interior minister said: "we're going to step up the recruitment and training of our police officers. This is a priority." Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the justice minister said that "significant efforts have been made in recent years to bring this specialized service 'up to strength'," but added that such investigators were hard to recruit and retain. They also said that they were in touch with EPPO. Nicoletta Ionta contributed to reporting. (mm) UPDATE: The article has been updated to include statements from the spokespeople of the interior and justice ministries.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
New suspect in Qatargate case, Maj.-Gen. (res.) Poli Mordechai, brought in for questioning
Mordechai is suspected of transferring hundreds of thousands of shekels from his business to Yonatan Urich, the main suspect in the Qatargate case. IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yoav "Poli" Mordechai was questioned in connection with the "Qatargate" case, Channel 13 News reported on Wednesday. Mordechai was questioned on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent and accepting bribes. He is also suspected of transferring hundreds of thousands of shekels from his business to Yonatan Urich, the main suspect in the case, throughout 2024 for a campaign in support of Qatar. Maj.-Gen. (res.) Mordechai retired from the IDF in 2018 after serving as the coordinator of government activities in the territories and the IDF spokesperson. He has also played a key role in hostage affairs during the Israel-Hamas War. He was first summoned to provide open testimony about two months ago, Channel 13 reported. Mordechai's Company, NOVARD, stated that he had not had any activity with the business since October 7. 'Novard has been working for years with various countries in Asia, Africa, and the Middle East in an official, public, and entirely legal manner. Since October 7, Poli Mordechai has been enlisted for reserve duty to promote the return of hostages. He is not involved in any business activity, and there is a complete separation between Novard's operations in the Middle East and him.' His business partner in NOVARD was also questioned at Lahav 433 out of caution. Jay Footlik, a US-based Qatari lobbyist, will be openly questioned on Saturday. The "Qatargate" investigation began in February 2025, when Attorney-General Gali Baharav Miara ordered the Israel Police and the Shin Bet to launch a formal investigation into individuals in the Prime Minister's Office for their ties to Doha. Footlik notably requested that Israeli businessman Gil Birger assist him in transferring funds to Eli Feldstein, a member of Netanyahu's media team. Feldstein has been accused of accepting bribes from Qatar, leaking classified documents that harmed the war effort, and reducing the chances of a successful hostage deal. He has also been indicted for endangering national security. Urich has been accused of feeding Israeli journalists information, through Feldstein, cited as being from intelligence sources, when it really originated in Qatar. Supposedly, the goal was to boost Qatar's image in the Gaza hostage and ceasefire negotiations, while belittling that of Egypt's as the other mediator. Qatar has denied any such initiative. Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Qatargate investigation: Urich will appear for pre indictment hearing
The Prime Minister's Office responded to Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara's intention to indict Urich on Monday, calling it a "disgraceful announcement." After the announcement Sunday that the prosecution is considering criminal charges against lead 'Qatargate' suspect and aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Yonatan Urich, his lawyers said on Monday that he will appear before a pre-indictment hearing. Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara announced on Sunday night that the prosecution is considering criminal charges against him – pending a hearing, during which the prosecution will present a tentative version of an indictment to Urich and his lawyers, and they will have the opportunity to respond. If, after that, the prosecution is not satisfied with what it has received, it will proceed with an indictment. Urich's lawyers demanded on Monday to receive all the investigation materials. The charges include offenses such as the unlawful disclosure of classified information with intent to harm national security, possession of classified information, and destruction of evidence. This is concerning what is known as the 'Leaked Documents Affair,' in which former PMO military spokesman Eli Feldstein allegedly leaked classified military documents to the German daily Bild, after permission for their publication was denied by the Israeli military censor. The documents were eventually published, allegedly to sway public opinion on the hostage negotiations. This was around August 2024, when six hostages were killed by their Hamas captors in a tunnel: Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Almog Sarusi, Eden Yerushalmi, Ori Danino, Carmel Gat, and Alex Lobanov. Urich allegedly operated with Feldstein to bring this to fruition. Per the allegations, he sought to extract classified information from the IDF, including through secret intelligence, which, once publicized, endangered national security and human lives. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the authorities' announcement 'disgraceful,' and 'an unfortunate decision that raises serious questions.' 'I am familiar with the details, and I state clearly and unequivocally: There was no harm to the security of the state. Yonatan did not harm the state's security. This is an unfounded, baseless move, intended to serve another agenda, not the public's interest,' Netanyahu wrote. PMO deputy security director Alon Haliva is expected to provide open testimony in the leaked documents case. Feldstein is under house arrest. The State Attorney's Office opposed easing the conditions of Feldstein's arrest on Monday. In contrast, Urich is being held in significantly more lenient conditions. The incoming Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) chief will be barred from involvement in the 'Qatargate' investigations until they are cleared up in about two months, resolving the issue of the prime minister's conflict of interest in the matter. Per reports, IDF Maj.-Gen. (res.) Yoav 'Poli' Mordechai was questioned in connection with the case, on suspicion of contact with a foreign agent and accepting bribery. He is also suspected of transferring hundreds of thousands of shekels from his business to Urich throughout 2024 for a Qatari campaign. Bini Aschkenasy and Sarah Ben-Nun contributed to this report.
