REFILE: Israel's Netanyahu summoned to give testimony in Qatar probe

Record ID: 1987161

  • Title: REFILE: Israel's Netanyahu summoned to give testimony in Qatar probe
  • Date: 31st March 2025
  • Summary: JERUSALEM (MARCH 31, 2025) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF SECURITY PERSONNEL OUTSIDE ENTRANCE TO PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE ISRAELI PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SULEIMAN MASWADEH, SPEAKING IN INTERVIEW (SOUNDBITE) (English) POLITICAL REPORTER FOR THE ISRAELI PUBLIC BROADCASTING CORPORATION, SULEIMAN MASWADEH, SAYING: "So we're talking about 'Qatar-gate'.
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Benjamin Netanyahu Israel Prime Minister Qatar corruption investigation police probe summoned trial
  • Location: JERUSALEM
  • City: JERUSALEM
  • Country: Israel
  • Topics: Crime/Law/Justice,Judicial Process/Court Cases/Court Decisions,Middle East
  • Reuters ID: LVA002301131032025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: A convoy carrying Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at his office in Jerusalem on Monday (March 31) after he abruptly left his corruption trial in Tel Aviv to give evidence in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar, Israel's public broadcaster Kan reported.
    Two suspects in the investigation, dubbed "Qatar-gate" in Israel, had been arrested earlier on Monday, police said. It provided no further details, citing a court-ordered gag on the case.
    A spokesman for the prime minister did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A source close to Netanyahu confirmed the reports. Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem.
    Suleiman Maswadeh, a political reporter for the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, said the investigation is unlikely to have any political impact on Netanyahu for now.
    "His supporters think that he has nothing to do with that, that 'Qatar-gate' is only something that the Shin Bet director and the deep state in Israel had made up," he said.
    Maswadeh added, however, that if proof is found that he was aware of any link between his aides and Qatar, it would become a "big problem" for him.
    Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denies, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as "fake news" and a politically motivated campaign against him.
    (Production: Dedi Hayun, Lion Schellerer, Andreea Popescu)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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