55.5 per cent of Jewish citizens of Israel believe that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was aware of his advisers’ ties to Qatar, despite his public denials. This is according to a survey by the Israeli Institute for Democracy conducted in March 2025, The Jerusalem Post reports.
Only 25.5 per cent of Jewish respondents believe that Netanyahu was unaware of the contacts. Another 19% were undecided. Among Arab citizens of Israel, 71% are convinced that the prime minister was aware of the contacts, while only 9% believe that he was unaware of the situation.
The political distribution of opinions clearly shows a deep polarisation: 91.5 per cent of respondents on the left are convinced that the prime minister was aware of the situation, 74 per cent in the centre, while the right is divided, with 37 per cent on each side.
At the centre of the scandal is an investigation into Qatar’s ties to Netanyahu’s advisers Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, as well as former Likud political consultant Srulik Einhorn. All three are also involved in the case of the leak of a secret document to the German media, which, according to the investigation, was an attempt to divert attention from the prime minister’s responsibility after the deaths of six hostages.
Feldstein and Urich were detained on 31 March and are currently under house arrest, while Einhorn is being sought by police. Netanyahu himself was interrogated as a witness but does not have the status of a suspect.
Particular attention was drawn to the confession of businessman Gil Birger, who in 2024 transferred funds to Feldstein from American lobbyist Jay Footlik, who represented the interests of Qatar. At the time, Feldstein worked as the prime minister’s security spokesman. It was he who arranged the interview for The Jerusalem Post’s editor Zvika Klein after his trip to Qatar, where he was accompanied by Footlik.
The investigation is ongoing, and public confidence in the head of government is under even greater pressure.
