Netanyahu aides accused of leaking classified intel to Qatar for anti-Egypt push

Three senior advisers to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are reportedly accused of leaking classified Israeli intelligence to Qatar concerning Egypt, according to an Israeli security official cited by the Israel Hayom daily. The advisers, Jonatan Urich, Yisrael Einhorn, and Eli Feldstein, allegedly received payment from Doha while providing this sensitive information.

This intelligence, obtained from the prime minister's aides, was allegedly passed by Qatar to Israeli journalists. The report suggests this was part of a deliberate campaign to undermine Egypt's standing in the eyes of the Israeli public, thereby clearing the path for Qatar to assume a primary role in negotiations for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

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The report is a lie, unfounded, and totally denied.

The leaks reportedly originated from high-level meetings held between March and May 2024. These discussions involved Netanyahu, the National Security Council, the IDF, and the Shin Bet, and focused on Israel-Egypt relations, specifically examining whether Egypt was breaching the terms of their 1979 peace agreement by deploying forces into the Sinai Peninsula. Articles detailing alleged Egyptian violations subsequently appeared in the Israeli press in 2024 and early 2025.

Einhorn, Urich, and Feldstein are central figures in the ongoing "Qatargate" investigation, which scrutinizes suspicions of pro-Qatar lobbying, including alleged contact with foreign agents and corrupt actions. While investigators previously believed information flowed from Qatar to the aides, the new revelations indicate a reciprocal flow of intelligence. Urich and Feldstein have been arrested and questioned, while Einhorn, residing in Serbia, was questioned by Israeli investigators in Belgrade.

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It is a total lie… published by political rivals in the middle of an election season. I was never present at a classified discussion, and I never transferred any information, even unclassified, to anyone.