Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called for current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s resignation, as he accused the current office of treason over reported Qatari funds given to his aides.
The “Qatargate” scandal linked financial gifts from Qatari authorities to different members of Netanyahu’s administration, leading to accusations of suspects having been recruited by Qatar to promote the country’s image in Israel.
Qatar is home to senior Hamas leaders and has held critical roles in mediation between Israel and Hamas amid the war in Gaza after the October 7 massacre. Israel and Qatar have no official diplomatic ties.
In the eyes of the Israeli public, Bennett is a leading contender in elections next year, to which Netanyahu would seek election for another term in October 2026.
Netanyahu aides taken into custody
As the investigation into Qatargate continued, two of Netanyahu’s aides were taken into custody in late March 2025.
An investigation is underway, and two of Netanyahu's aides were taken into custody in late March on additional suspicion that confidential information was shared with Qatari sources regarding the war in Gaza.
"Netanyahu's office betrayed the State of Israel and IDF soldiers in wartime, and acted on Qatar's behalf out of greed, while Netanyahu himself seeks to cover up the affair," Bennett stated in a Monday social media posting. "This is the most serious act of treason in Israel's history," he said.
Bennett added, "Whether Netanyahu knew or did not know that his office was working for money for an enemy during wartime, both scenarios require his immediate resignation.”
Netanyahu claimed Qatar 'not an enemy'
After his aides were taken into custody, Netanyahu said that Qatar was “not an enemy” of Israel in their defense.
Bennett accused the three advisors of having "acted as paid agents of Qatar" during a time when Israeli soldiers "were fighting and falling under bullets bought with Qatari money.” The third aide was allegedly responsible for curating pro-Qatar messages.
The third person refers to an aide who allegedly crafted pro-Qatar messages that the other two assistants then distributed.
Recent polls have put the former PM, who had previously replaced Netanyahu in office and subsequently withdrew from politics in 2022, back as the strongest contender against the sitting PM.
Yair Lapid, who also briefly served in the role, called it the "most serious treason case in the history of the State.”