An arrest warrant is issued for a former Netanyahu adviser over the ‘Bild affair’ and ‘Qatargate’, as another senior aide is detained in a widening probe.
JERUSALEM: Israeli police have issued an arrest warrant for a former aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The warrant targets Israel Einhorn, a former campaign adviser now living in Serbia, over his suspected involvement in two affairs linked to the premier’s office.
A police spokesman confirmed the warrant to AFP.
A court document lists Einhorn among individuals suspected in the “Bild affair” who are barred from contacting the prime minister’s office.
The document noted a “pending arrest warrant against him”.
In a video message, Netanyahu claimed the move was politically motivated targeting through his former aides.
“They can’t beat me in elections, so they start a lawsuit, the lawsuit falls apart so they bring in my advisors one after the other to try to blackmail them,” he said.
The Bild affair involved leaking classified military intelligence to Germany’s Bild tabloid in September 2024.
The leaked document aimed to show Hamas was uninterested in a ceasefire, supporting Netanyahu’s stance that military pressure alone could free hostages.
Two other Netanyahu aides were previously arrested and indicted for that leak.
Einhorn is also a suspect in the “Qatargate” scandal, where Netanyahu associates are suspected of being recruited by Qatar to promote its image.
Qatar hosts Hamas leaders and has mediated between Israel and the Palestinian movement during the Gaza war.
It also sent millions in cash monthly to Gaza between 2018 and October 2023.
The warrant follows the Sunday detention of a current senior Netanyahu aide suspected of obstructing an investigation.
Local media identified the aide as chief of staff Tzachi Braverman, who is reportedly barred from leaving Israel for 30 days.
Another former aide, Eli Feldstein, claimed in an interview that Braverman offered to “shut down” an army probe into the Bild affair.
Feldstein said Netanyahu was aware of the leak and supported using it to garner public backing for the war.
Feldstein is on trial for alleged involvement in both the Bild leak and Qatargate.
