![Israel's Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara (C) listens on as she attends a cabinet meeting at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem on 5 June, 2024 [GIL COHEN-MAGEN/POOL/AFP via Getty Images]](https://i0.wp.com/www.middleeastmonitor.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/GettyImages-2155582890-scaled-e1721904738844.jpg?fit=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
An Israeli court has issued a sweeping gag order on a police investigation into alleged ties between Qatari officials and individuals within the Prime Minister’s Office.
The order, in effect for 30 days, follows Israeli Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara’s announcement of a criminal probe into the “Qatar-Gate” affair, focusing on suspected connections between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s associates and Qatar.
The ruling prohibits the publication of any details related to the investigation, including updates on interrogations, suspect questioning and findings. It also extends to social media, barring Israeli media from quoting foreign reports on the case, directing audiences to external coverage, or even hinting at the investigation’s details.
Baharav-Miara launched the inquiry last month after reports surfaced of potential links between Netanyahu’s office and Qatari officials.
According to the Times of Israel, the investigation gained momentum after it was revealed that Eli Feldstein, Netanyahu’s former spokesperson, who has been indicted for compromising national security by stealing and leaking classified documents from the Israeli occupation forces, had worked for Qatar through an international firm contracted to promote pro-Qatar narratives in Israeli media.
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