Israeli PM Netanyahu summoned to give testimony in Qatar probe
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was on Monday summoned to give evidence in a separate investigation into possible ties between his aides and Qatar.
The police said two suspects in the investigation, dubbed “Qatar-gate” in Israel, had been arrested earlier on Monday.
The police, however, provided no further details, citing a court-ordered gag on the case.
At the time of filing this report, a spokesman for the prime minister has not commented on the issue.
Israel’s public broadcaster Kan said Netanyahu was not a suspect and would provide testimony at his office in Jerusalem.
Netanyahu, who is on trial over a separate series of corruption charges which he denied, has rejected the accusations regarding his aides and Qatar as “fake news” and a politically motivated campaign against him.
According to recent investigations by Kan, the aides are suspected of having orchestrated or been involved in a campaign to improve Qatar’s image abroad, but they denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier on Monday, Netanyahu named a new chief to take over Israel’s domestic intelligence agency after a bitter standoff with the current head who has been presiding over the Qatar investigation, together with the police.
Netanyahu tapped a former commander of Israel’s navy, Eli Sharvit, to replace Shin Bet head Ronen Bar, who remains in office pending a Supreme Court decision over legal challenges to his dismissal.
