Attorney Uri Corb, representing American lobbyist Jay Footlik, appeared on Israel Army Radio on Thursday morning and characterized the arrest warrant as "a strange and disappointing step." He added, "My client, from the very first moment, stated he would cooperate. Appointments were scheduled with investigative authorities in the US, but these were cancelled through no fault of his own. We are not concerned about the arrest warrant and are not worried about the possible opening of proceedings against him. Despite this unpleasant situation, my client will provide assistance in the investigation."
Attorney Corb noted that despite the investigation, "hostage families continue meeting with him, and he and he connects them with others." Corb emphasized: "His activities remain untainted."
The police issued an arrest warrant against the lobbyist remaining in the US, as part of the "Qatargate" affair. According to the suspicion, Footlik advanced Qatar's interests in Israel throughout the war. It should be noted that the significance of issuing the warrant means that if he arrives at Ben Gurion International Airport – he will be immediately arrested.
Footlik is an American Jewish businessman serving as Qatar's lobbyist. During the investigation of the "Qatargate" affair, suspicion emerged according to which Footlik funded, among other things, the salary of Eli Feldstein, the Israeli prime minister's former military spokesperson, through a third-party business entity. Furthermore, the suspicion is that Footlik and Srulik Einhorn collaborated on campaigns for Qatar.
Attorneys Uri Corb and Sivan Russo, representing Footlik, responded that he already arranged dates for providing his testimony in Israel and therefore "issuing an arrest warrant in Israel under these circumstances represents an unnecessary step. It appears this is a decision whose sole purpose is to apply pressure, and derives from considerations unrelated to the investigation and pursuit of truth."
