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.
Click to Gallery
Israelis block a highway in Jerusalem to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demand the release of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli police push back people protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli police drag away people protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as they block a highway in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Qatar, which is a key mediator for Hamas in its ceasefire negotiations with Israel, denies backing the militant group. Netanyahu has given a statement to police on the matter but is not a suspect in the case, which he says is baseless and meant to topple his rule.
The investigation is just the latest scandal to roil Netanyahu, who is the subject of a long-running corruption trial and regularly rails against a “deep state” that is out to get him.
Critics say Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, has worked in recent years to undermine Israel's state institutions, including its judiciary. Most recently, they point to his attempt to dismiss the head of Israel's domestic security agency, which is also investigating his office's alleged links to Qatar.
Dubbed “Qatargate” by Israeli media, the investigation centers on accusations that two close advisers to Netanyahu — longtime media consultant Jonatan Urich, and former spokesman Eli Feldstein — were hired to run a public-relations campaign to improve Qatar's image among Israelis while it was negotiating on behalf of Hamas for a ceasefire in Gaza. Payments were allegedly funneled through an American lobbyist.
According to a court document, the American lobbyist and Urich struck a “business connection” to positively promote Qatar and spread negative messages about Egypt, another important mediator in the Israel-Hamas ceasefire negotiations.
Feldstein was allegedly paid to pass on those messages to journalists. He and Urich could face charges of contact with a foreign agent, money laundering, bribery, fraud and breach of trust, according to Israeli media. Other than financial gain, any other possible motives are unclear.
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.
Lawyers for Urich and Feldstein did not respond to requests for comment.
Netanyahu has slammed the probe as a political witch hunt and accused police of holding his advisers as “hostages” — wording that angered many in Israel because Hamas is still holding dozens captive inside Gaza after its Oct. 7, 2023, attack that ignited the war.
A judge on Tuesday extended the detentions of Urich and Feldstein, who has been indicted in a separate case involving the leak of classified information to a German tabloid.
If the new allegations are substantiated, “it’s an abuse of the office,” said Tomer Naor, of the Movement of Quality Government in Israel. What's particularly worrying, he said, is how easily outside actors appear to have gained access to the prime minister's inner circle — and that the advisers allegedly promoted Qatari talking points to journalists while giving the impression that the messaging was coming from the prime minister's office.
The nearly 18-monthlong war in Gaza rages on after last month's collapse of a 42-day ceasefire that Qatar played a key role in helping secure.
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.
Israelis are also suspicious of Qatar's intentions because it is the homebase for Hamas' political leaders, and its broadcaster Al Jazeera is seen by Israel as a mouthpiece for Hamas, allegations the network denies. Qatar says it provided humanitarian aid to Gaza in full coordination with the Israeli government.
When reached by the AP, a Qatari government official did not directly respond to the alleged links to Netanyahu's advisers. He said mediation efforts on Gaza would continue. He spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Once the target of a regional blockade over its alleged ties to Islamist extremist groups and Iran, Qatar has long sought to be seen as an influential regional player and as a trusted conflict mediator.
But throughout the war in Gaza, many in Israel, including Netanyahu, have expressed anger that Qatar wasn't doing enough to pressure Hamas to meet Israel's terms for a ceasefire.
Qatar’s aim in the alleged public-relations campaign in Israel may have been to quell those accusations and make sure they didn’t influence the U.S., with whom it has close security ties, said Yoel Guzansky, a senior researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies, a Tel Aviv think tank.
He said any effort to besmirch Egypt, a longtime mediator between Israel and the Palestinians, may have been a way to improve Qatar's own regional standing.
Qatar “brings up a lot of emotions” in Israel because it is viewed as having played a key role in bolstering Hamas ahead of its Oct. 7 attack, Guzansky said. Before the war, Netanyahu had approved the transfer of funds from Qatar to Gaza as part of a strategy to contain Hamas, he explained.
“Qatar is contemptible. But we should check ourselves first,” he said. “We not only allowed, we encouraged Qatar to invest in Gaza.”
It's not clear what, if anything, Netanyahu knew about his advisers' alleged wrongdoing.
Previous aides who got into trouble with the law have turned state witness against Netanyahu in his corruption trial. Netanyahu's testimony in that trial was halted after Urich and Feldstein's arrest this week; he was summoned to give police a statement about the case.
Netanyahu is under immense public pressure to accept responsibility for his role in failing to prevent the Oct. 7 attack, including allowing the transfer of Qatari cash to Gaza.
Mass protests erupted in recent weeks over Netanyahu's decision to end the Gaza ceasefire that had facilitated the release of dozens of hostages, and over his moves to fire the head of the country's domestic security agency and its attorney general.
The attempt to fire Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar came as the agency was running its own probe into the Qatar links. That prompted accusations that Netanyahu was trying to snuff out the investigation.
Netanyahu has suggested, with little evidence, that the probe was a result of collusion between Bar and the attorney general as a way to thwart the domestic security chief’s dismissal. A court froze Bar's dismissal pending further hearings. That hasn't stopped Netanyahu from trying to appoint his replacement.
Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war
Israelis block a highway in Jerusalem to protest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government and demand the release of the hostages held by Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli police push back people protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israeli police drag away people protesting against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government outside the Knesset, Israel's parliament in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu delivers a speech during the International Conference on Combating Antisemitism in Jerusalem, Israel, Thursday, March 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Leo Correa)
People protest against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government as they block a highway in Jerusalem, Monday, March 31, 2025. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Meyer carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning and the Miami Marlins salvaged the finale of a three-game series by beating the New York Mets 5-0 on Wednesday.
Matt Mervis homered and finished with three RBIs for the Marlins, who snapped the Mets’ six-game winning streak. Nick Fortes and Jonah Bride each had a run-scoring single.
The Mets hit just two balls out of the infield against Meyer (1-1) before Francisco Lindor’s single up the middle with one out in the sixth. The right-hander immediately induced Juan Soto to hit into a double play.
Soto finished 0 for 4 as his season-opening on-base streak ended at 11 games.
Meyer gave up a leadoff single to Pete Alonso in the seventh and exited after retiring Brandon Nimmo. The 6 1/3 innings tied a career high for Meyer, who walked two and struck out four.
PIRATES 2, CARDINALS 1, 13 INNINGS
Joey Bart singled in the winning run with the bases loaded in the 13th inning to give Pittsburgh a win over St. Louis, despite six hitless innings from Erick Fedde.
The Pirates loaded the bases against Chris Roycroft (0-2) with no outs as Alexander Canario and Bryan Reynolds drew walks. Andrew McCutchen hit into a force out at home plate, but Bart hit a drive to deep left field that bounced into the stands and scored automatic runner Isiah Kiner-Falefa.
The Cardinals took a no-hitter into the seventh inning before Endy Rodriguez ended it with a two-out single off Phil Maton.
Fedde was pulled after throwing 88 pitches, 51 for strikes. He walked four batters, but none of the baserunners got past first base. He had just two strikeouts.
Mitch Keller pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings for the Pirates in a no-decision. He allowed four hits while striking out six and walking one.
Justin Lawrence (1-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
RANGERS 6, CUBS 2
CHICAGO (AP) — Texas shortstop Corey Seager homered twice as the Rangers avoided a sweep in Chicago, beating the Cubs.
The two-time World Series MVP opened the game with a solo shot to left-center, and then lined another solo home run to right field in the seventh to put the Rangers up five. It was Seager’s 18th career game with multiple home runs and his first since August 19, 2024.
Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle (2-0) held Chicago to just two hits in seven innings. The right-hander allowed one earned run and lowered his season ERA to 1.32.
Shota Imanaga (2-1, 2.70 ERA) picked up the loss for Chicago, allowing a season-high five earned runs in five innings. The Japanese-born lefty struck out four while giving up seven hits, including two home runs.
Chicago had won seven of its last eight entering the series finale.
Seiya Suzuki hit a triple and subsequently scored in the fourth inning, and then had an RBI single in the ninth.
YANKEES 4, TIGERS 3
DETROIT (AP) — Max Fried threw seven scoreless innings to outduel high school teammate Jack Flaherty, Ben Rice hit a two-run homer in the seventh and AL MVP Aaron Judge drove in two more runs to help New York hold off Detroit.
The Tigers loaded the bases against Devin Williams with two outs in the ninth, scored one run on a wild pitch and chased the righty on Zach McKinstry’s two-run single to pull within a run.
Mark Leiter Jr. entered and ended the threat, getting Justyn-Henry Malloy out on a game-ending fly for his first save.
New York, which avoided getting swept in the three-game series, stopped a three-game losing streak and snapped Detroit’s five-game winning streak.
Fried (1-1) gave up five hits and had 11 strikeouts, two short of the career high he set last June at Boston.
Flaherty, who attended Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles with Fried, struck out nine and gave up three hits and three walks in 5 1/3 innings.
PADRES 2, ATHLETICS 1
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Randy Vásquez gave up one hit over five innings and Xander Bogaerts had three hits and scored both of San Diego’s runs in a victory over the Athletics.
Vásquez (1-1) gave up the Athletics’ run with Adrian Morejon, Jeremiah Estrada, Jason Adam and Robert Suarez each pitching a scoreless inning of relief. Suarez got his third save.
Bogaerts scored in the third on Gavin Sheets’ sacrifice fly and in the fifth on Oscar Gonzalez’s single. Gonzalez, Manny Machado and Jason Heyward had two hits apiece.
The Padres took the rubber game of the three-game series without three top players. Fernando Tatis Jr. and Jake Cronenworth, who left Tuesday’s game with injuries, sat out Wednesday and are day-to-day. With Jackson Merrill going on the 10-day injured list before Tuesday’s game, Sheets was in the cleanup spot.
DIAMONDBACKS 9, ORIOLES 0
PHOENIX (AP) — Corbin Carroll homered for the second straight game, Pavin Smith added a two-run shot and Arizona beat Baltimore.
Brandon Pfaadt (2-1) threw six scoreless innings, giving up four hits and two walks while striking out three. The D-backs won two of three games in the series.
Arizona broke the game open with a five-run fifth inning to take a 7-0 lead. Smith started the scoring with his two-run homer that landed in the Chase Field swimming pool and then Josh Naylor added a solo blast, which was his first of the season and first with the D-backs.
With two outs, Alek Thomas was hit by a pitch, Jake McCarthy doubled and rookie Tim Tawa brought them both home with a line drive single to left.
Baltimore’s Dean Kremer (1-2) gave up six runs on eight hits and a walk over 4 2/3 innings. He struck out four.
GIANTS 8, REDS 6, 10 INNINGS
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Mike Yastrzemski hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the 10th inning, Jung Hoo Lee had three hits including a triple and a double, and San Francisco rallied from a five-run deficit for a victory over Cincinnati.
Wilmer Flores had three hits including a home run for San Francisco, which avoided a three-game series sweep.
Elly De La Cruz had a two-run double and Gavin Lux singled in two for Cincinnati in a five-run third inning.
The Giants trailed 6-1 in the sixth when Patrick Bailey tripled in a run during a four-run inning. Flores homered leading off the eighth to tie it.
Giants starter Justin Verlander struck out nine and gave up six runs (five earned) on five hits and three walks in 5 2/3 innings. The 42-year-old, who signed a $15 million one-year contract in January, was coming off a forgettable home debut on Saturday against Seattle in which he lasted just 2 2/3 innings.
Erik Miller (1-0) pitched a perfect 10th inning for the win.
DODGERS 6, NATIONALS 5
WASHINGTON (AP) — Teoscar Hernández homered and drove in three, including the go-ahead run in the seventh inning, and the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 6-5 on Wednesday to avoid a three-game sweep.
Los Angeles designated hitter Shohei Ohtani went 2 for 4 with singles in the first and seventh and a walk in the second. He scored two runs and raised his batting average to .315.
The Dodgers, who went 2-4 on their trip to Philadelphia and Washington, snapped the Nationals’ four-game winning streak.
Los Angeles rallied against Eduardo Salazar (0-1) in the seventh. Andy Pages homered with one out to tie it at 5, and Ohtani followed with a single. Tommy Edman walked two batters later, and Hernández floated a single to right field that scored Ohtani.
Kirby Yates (1-0) pitched the sixth for the Dodgers. Blake Treinen worked the ninth for his second save, stranding two runners in scoring position when James Wood grounded out.
Washington starter Jake Irvin yielded a single, a walk, a triple and Hernández’s fifth homer of the year to open the game, then didn’t permit another runner to reach third. He allowed four runs in six innings while striking out seven.
MARINERS 7, ASTROS 6
SEATTLE (AP) — Randy Arozarena hit a grand slam in the eighth and drew the game-winning walk in the ninth as Seattle rallied for seven runs over the final two innings to beat Houston.
Arozarena’s slam trimmed Seattle’s deficit to one before the Astros made it 6-4 when Jeremy Peña scored on a wild pitch by Casey Lawrence (1-0) in the top of the ninth.
Julio Rodríguez delivered a two-run double in the bottom half to tie it, and a walk to Mitch Garver loaded the bases. Houston got a forceout at home before Bryan Abreu (0-1) walked Arozarena on a full count.
The Astros seemingly had the game in hand after Hunter Brown pitched two-hit ball over six shutout innings. They took a 5-0 lead into the bottom of eighth against a Mariners team that went 1 for 19 with runners in scoring position during a 2-1 loss in 12 innings Tuesday night.
Lawrence, called up from the minors Wednesday to provide relief for an overtaxed bullpen, pitched the final three innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Luis F. Castillo started for Seattle and threw 100 pitches in four innings, allowing four runs — three earned — in his second major league start.
GUARDIANS 3, WHITE SOX 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Carlos Santana homered and Cleveland held off Chicago in a game that ended on a bizarre play.
The White Sox had the bases loaded with two outs in the ninth inning when Miguel Vargas singled through the hole at shortstop. Jacob Amaya scored and it seemed Mike Tauchman was going to tie the game before he appeared to injure himself while rounding third base.
Tauchman, who just came off the injured list after a right hamstring strain, was tagged out by catcher Austin Hedges for the final out after the throw from left fielder Steven Kwan.
Emmanuel Clase got his first save of the season, despite allowing three hits and a walk with two strikeouts. Paul Sewald (1-1) got the win.
BLUE JAYS 2, RED SOX 1, 11 INNINGS
BOSTON (AP) — Bo Bichette’s sacrifice fly in the 11th inning scored Ernie Clement and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. celebrated his contract extension with three hits as Toronto beat Boston.
Guerrero and the Blue Jays finalized a $500 million, 14-year contract that starts in 2026, a deal with a record $325 million signing bonus. Later, the slugger went 3 for 5 and scored the team’s first run.
Toronto’s Kevin Gausman worked eight innings, allowing one unearned run on four hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks. It was his longest outing since going eight innings on Aug. 8, 2024, and his 26th career game of 10 or more strikeouts.
Jeff Hoffman (1-0) went two scoreless innings for the win, and Nick Sandlin picked up his first save of the season.
Bichette drove in the winning run with a fly ball off right-hander Josh Winckowski (0-1).
Boston’s Tanner Houck went 6 2/3 innings, giving up one run on five hits with two walks and two strikeouts.
RAYS 5, ANGELS 4
TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — José Caballero slugged his first career grand slam and Tampa Bay held on for a win over Los Angeles to snap a five-game losing streak.
Caballero gave the Rays a 4-0 lead in the first inning before the Angels hit solo homers in the second, fourth and fifth to cut the margin to one. Yandy Díaz added a solo homer in the seventh for a two-run cushion before Los Angeles’ Kyren Paris hit his second solo shot of the game in the eighth.
All six homers went to right field where down the line it is just 315 feet at George Steinbrenner Field, the Rays’ home while Tropicana Field undergoes repairs from hurricane damage last fall. Caballero’s homer — his first of the season — traveled 327 feet as did Díaz’s drive, also his first.
Paris’ homers were his fourth and fifth of the season. Jorge Soler hit his third and Taylor Ward his first.
Ryan Pepiot (1-1) went five innings and gave up three solo homers. Pete Fairbanks was the fourth Rays reliever and worked a scoreless ninth for his second save.
PHILLIES 4, BRAVES 3
ATLANTA (AP) — Trea Turner hit a tiebreaking homer off closer Raisel Iglesias in the ninth inning and Philadelphia held on to beat Atlanta.
Turner’s first homer of the season came off a slider from Iglesias (0-2). The NL East rivals have split the first two games of their three-game series.
José Alvarado (2-0) got the final four outs for the win. Alvarado gave up a one-out single to Marcell Ozuna in the ninth before striking out Matt Olson. Austin Riley’s single up the middle moved pinch-runner Stuart Fairchild to third base, but then Alvarado struck out Sean Murphy to end the game.
TWINS 4, RYOALS 0
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Joe Ryan continued his mastery over Kansas City, giving up just two hits over seven scoreless innings in Minnesota’ victory over the Royals.
Ryan (1-1), who struck out four and did not give up a walk, is now 7-0 in nine career starts against the Royals with a 1.30 ERA in 55 1/3 innings.
Seth Lugo (1-1) threw 109 pitches for the Royals, allowing two runs on five hits in 5 2/3 innings.
BREWERS 17, ROCKIES 2
DENVER (AP) — Jackson Chourio homered and doubled to drive in five runs as Milwaukee cruised to a win over slumping Colorado.
The Brewers have taken the opening two games against Colorado to secure their first series win at Coors Field since 2018.
Brice Turang lined two singles for Milwaukee to give him a hit in all 12 games. The franchise record to open a season is 13 games by Dickie Thon in 1993.
William Contreras launched a two-run homer as part of a five-run third inning to break open the game. Chourio smashed a three-run shot in a five-run fifth.
It was a rocky ninth for reliever Seth Halvorsen, who overthrew first base on Chourio’s soft roller, allowing two runs to score. He then gave up a two-run homer to Christian Yelich as Milwaukee scored seven times in the inning.
Grant Anderson (1-0) earned the win in relief.
Miami Marlins' Max Meyer pitches during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Wednesday, April 9, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Pamela Smith)
