Netanyahu is rocked by a new scandal linking his close advisers to Qatar

[Uncle Joe]

TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office is once again ensnared in scandal after police arrested two of his close associates this week on suspicion of accepting money from Qatar to promote a positive image of the Gulf Arab state in Israel.

The affair has gripped Israelis because Qatar, a country that many view as a patron of Hamas, and which has no formal diplomatic ties to Israel, appears to have penetrated the highest corridors of power.

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One Israeli journalist questioned in the case is Zvika Klein, the editor-in-chief of the Jerusalem Post, an English-language daily. According to a report this week in the Post, Klein visited Qatar at the invitation of its government last year and subsequently wrote a series of articles about his impressions, one of which laid out Qatar’s case against Israeli claims that it backs the militant group. The newspaper said Klein, who could not be reached for comment, is currently barred from speaking to journalists.

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Among Israelis, the gas-rich emirate is best known for sending money to Gaza beginning in 2018 — an effort meant to help poor families. But analysts and former officials say some of the money dispatched with Netanyahu’s blessing made its way to Hamas’ military wing and helped it prepare for the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks.

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https://apnews.com/article/netanyahu-qatar-gaza-hamas-israel-scandal-da79eb436a150d82d03e352085b02bfc