The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic security service, is investigating senior officials in the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for potential conflicts of interest while conducting private business with Qatar.
The investigation, announced by the Shin Bet on Feb. 15, prompted cronies of Netanyahu in the media to launch a public attack on Shin Bet chief Ronen Bar, threatening that he will be removed from his position in the coming days.
The case involves allegations reported earlier in the Hebrew media which prompted an open letter last week by former Prime Minister Ehud Barak and several other senior military and security officials to demand an investigation. Also, Democratic Party chief General Yair Golan (ret.) held a press conference asserting that these allegations constitute treason and should be investigated.
The accused include Netanyahu’s media advisers Yonatan Ulrich, Israel Einhorn and Eli Feldstein, who are accused of conducting a media campaign putting Qatar in a favorable light, even during the current conflict with Hamas. Feldstein is already under house arrest for another case where he is accused of passing secret military intelligence to the press. Ulrich and Einhorn have also been under arrest for witness intimation related to Netanyahu’s ongoing corruption trial. Haaretz reports that there are fears that Netanyahu might fire Shin Bet chief Bar, put one of his cronies in as chief, and turn the Shin Bet into his personal police service. Nonetheless, Haaretz points out that such a move would expose Netanyahu to the charge of a conflict of interest which could be brought before the Supreme Court.
