Strip away the legal hair-splitting about whether Qatar qualifies as an enemy state. In practical terms, Qatar is an adversary. From a moral standpoint, working for Doha during wartime constitutes betrayal. Severe betrayal, given that Qatar bankrolls Hamas' military operations, funds the global anti-Israel propaganda campaign, and operates the Al Jazeera disinformation empire that demonizes the Jewish state.

One might charitably explain why some Israelis cooperated with Qatar before October 7. Israel itself greenlit the infamous cash-stuffed suitcases flowing into Gaza, deliberately ignoring that much of the money fueled Hamas' terrorist infrastructure. Not everyone looked away. Shin Bet officials warned repeatedly that Israel should eliminate Yahya Sinwar and his cohorts. But Benjamin Netanyahu preferred the illusion of calm, dismissing concerns as a "calculated risk" (a phrase Hamas' leader mockingly threw back at him in a personal note).

But accepting even one Qatari riyal after October 7? That crosses into betrayal. When this collaboration emanates from the Prime Minister's Office – Israel's inner sanctum – the breach becomes exponentially worse. Three reasons make that office sacred: First, everyone working there serves only Israel's interests. Second, their sole mission is to advance the nation's security. Third, they fight enemies rather than serving them.

Netanyahu and his defenders insist that Eli Feldstein, the prime minister's former spokesman for military affairs, never formally worked in the office. Anyone who dealt with Feldstein knows better. Here's an episode worth sharing now. On a Saturday night in early 2024, while driving with one of my children, Feldstein called. We'd known each other for years, since his days as IDF spokesperson and later as the spokesman for the Judea and Samaria Division. I'd always appreciated his unconventional background – an ultra-Orthodox man who enlisted, loved military service, and possessed natural charisma.

We hadn't spoken much since his brief stint as Itamar Ben-Gvir's spokesperson at the Public Security Ministry. I'd objected then to his lending credibility to a serial offender bent on dismantling the police. Fortunately, Feldstein left Ben-Gvir shortly after.

That Saturday night conversation lasted only minutes. After exchanging pleasantries, he pitched an obviously fabricated story smearing Egypt. I declined to participate and suggested we end the call amicably. At the time, I couldn't fathom why the prime minister's military spokesperson would attack Egypt. The possibility that he was acting on Qatar's behalf never occurred to me.

Egypt deserves its own discussion. Among all the betrayals, undermining Israel-Egypt relations ranks near the top. This cabal actually jeopardized peace with Egypt – one of Israel's most vital strategic assets, alongside the US alliance and technological dominance. That the Arab world's largest, most populous nation with its most powerful military has maintained peace with Israel for 46 years represents a geopolitical triumph. Yes, it's cold peace. Cold peace is far preferable to armed conflict.

The disinformation campaign run from the Prime Minister's Office sought to invert reality, casting Qatar as peacemaker and Egypt as warmonger. The lies included claims that Egypt violated the peace treaty by massing troops in Sinai, that Egyptian intelligence officials skimmed money from Hamas funding, that Cairo knew about October 7 in advance and conspired in Israel's deception, and that Egypt sabotaged hostage negotiations. Every accusation was false. Unfortunately, some journalists amplified them.

A word about journalism. Reporters thrive on leaks and should encourage sources to come forward. Journalists also rely on information from political offices, all of which have agendas. A reporter can assess motives, but the only test that matters is whether a story is significant and accurate. The fabrications peddled by the Qatar network inside the Prime Minister's Office were certainly sensational. They failed the truth test. A single call to mid-level or senior security officials would have exposed them as fiction.

Betrayal (2)

Every nation dreams of penetrating its adversary's leadership circle with operatives. The Mossad has invested enormous resources toward this goal over decades, succeeding only occasionally. So have premier Western and Eastern intelligence services. Qatar infiltrated Netanyahu's office effortlessly, and on the cheap.

Since October 7, the Shin Bet has uncovered more than 60 instances of Israeli citizens recruited to spy for Iran. No reasonable person considers it acceptable that Israelis assist Iranian intelligence operations, much less violent actions. Everyone recognizes this as betrayal – aiding the enemy during wartime. Yet many minimize Qatargate's severity. Most troubling are public officials (cabinet members, ministers, Knesset members) whose fear of Netanyahu trumps both common sense and their obligations to citizens and national security.

Imagine the uproar if this betrayal had occurred under former prime ministers Naftali Bennett or Yair Lapid. Critics would demand not only prosecuting those who took Qatari payments but also investigating the prime minister for employing advisors who turned double agents and for failing to supervise his own staff. Two scenarios exist: Either Netanyahu knew and approved, making him complicit, or he didn't know, making him negligent. His silence suggests he's hiding something or fears establishing a narrative that will later prove false.

Let's go back to Iranian espionage. Shin Bet and police are struggling to understand why so many Israelis betrayed their homeland. Initial assumptions focused on marginalized citizens – recent immigrants without family ties or military service, whose connection to Israel remained weak. As cases multiplied, that theory collapsed. Iran recruited across demographics: young and old, wealthy and struggling, urban and peripheral, religious and secular, native-born and immigrants, Mizrahi and Ashkenazi. Dozens of Israelis worked for Tehran in exchange for money.

Israel was long considered nearly impossible to penetrate with spies. Unlike neighboring states, Israel's social cohesion remained strong, built on the collective understanding that interdependence ensured survival. Historically, Israeli traitors fell into two categories: foreign-trained operatives planted in Israel (Marcus Klingberg being the most notorious) and ideologically motivated betrayers (Udi Adiv, Mordechai Vanunu).

Today's phenomenon differs fundamentally, and it's deeply troubling, not just because of the sheer numbers caught (with many more presumably undetected) but because it signals something essential has fractured. We must confront this fracture, because it's corrupting our national soul. When ordinary Israelis witness betrayal emanating from the Prime Minister's Office, they absorb the message that it's acceptable. When they watch Netanyahu and his ministers close ranks protecting cronies rather than demanding accountability, they understand it's permitted. When they learn that serving the enemy state Qatar isn't particularly serious, they conclude it's allowed.

Add to this the systematic demolition of everything once held sacred – the justice system, the security establishment, social solidarity, and ultimately the State of Israel itself. Simultaneously, ministers and legislators suspected of serious crimes skip interrogations or evade prosecution, while a prime minister transforms his trial into theater and seeks pardons (while refusing responsibility for the catastrophe that occurred on his watch and attempting to obstruct legitimate investigations). Some Israelis observe all this and conclude nothing remains sacred.If senior officials can get away with anything, why shouldn't the ordinary citizen?

Betrayal (3)

Benjamin Netanyahu must face investigation because these events occurred in his office, originated from his office, and were executed by his office personnel .The multiplicity of versions and lies regarding Feldstein could have been amusing, if it didn't teach how much this affair frightens those at the top. Initially, he was portrayed as a loyal patriot (Justice Minister Amir Ohana even compared him to Dreyfus). Suddenly, he transformed into disposable garbage that acted independently.

Make no mistake: Feldstein didn't stumble into sensitive locations by chance. I've visited the Israeli Air Force command center (known as "the pit") multiple times. Access requires official guest credentials. That's exactly what he possessed, and not just there. He operated as part of the prime minister's inner circle. That's why journalists accepted the information he peddled. He spoke with the Prime Minister's Office.

The new Shin Bet director, David Zini, should lead the demand for Netanyahu's investigation (Police Commissioner Dani Levy should be second). Among his responsibilities at the Shin Bet, Zini oversees counterespionage operations, security clearances, and safeguarding classified information at the Prime Minister's Office. All these systems failed, and accountability demands answers about whose responsibility this was and who authorized it. Only Netanyahu can provide those answers, including explanations for other matters like the classified document leaked to the German Bild.

Whether Zini will act remains doubtful. He hasn't yet developed the spine such action requires. Two days ago, his deputy, agreed to conclude his tenure and retire promptly. The two clashed from the outset. Perhaps because the deputy struggled adjusting back to deputy status after serving months as acting director. Perhaps due to Zini's habit of speaking, according to multiple sources, in exclamation points despite still being new to the job

Zini has commenced the search for the deputy's replacement. The sole natural internal candidate is currently studying abroad (N., former Operations Division head), and the organization's remaining senior leadership is exceptionally young in both age and experience. Expectations are that Zini will recruit an external deputy, someone who previously served and departed but would now return. The leading candidate is A., who headed the Southern Region in the years before October 7. Another possibility is N., formerly Gaza Division chief and currently at the National Security Council. Selecting him would constitute an Olympic-level leap over standard positions and ranks, but in contemporary Israel, anything's feasible.

Additional candidates exist, including some whose return would be welcome, though it won't materialize. For instance, E., who formerly led the Israel Region, failed to secure the deputy position solely because Netanyahu's office discovered his brother had participated in protests against the prime minister. This approaches the severity of mentioning "Ronen Bar," former chief of the Shin Bet, the two words Zini omitted from his inaugural address. Yes, Bar bears responsibility for October 7, but he also deserves credit for the Shin Bet's major wartime achievements. Zini's failure to acknowledge him registered within the Shin Bet as pandering to Netanyahu, who attended the ceremony.

Zini won't establish his legacy through Netanyahu's favor. He'll build it through rigorous work, through earning his organization's respect, and through delivering results that ordinary citizens experience. His public stance on Qatargate isn't optional. It's mandatory. This represents his sworn duty to national security. If he fails to stop betrayal at the top, he stands no chance of preventing the deluge rising from below.

The post How Qatar infiltrated Netanyahu's office while Iran recruited Israeli spies appeared first on www.israelhayom.com.

Before running over the 68-year-old man to death, the terrorist struck a 16-year-old boy with his vehicle near Beit She'an, lightly wounding him. Magen David Adom paramedics reported: "We found a 16-year-old boy lying on the sidewalk with injuries to his legs. He and bystanders informed us he had been struck by a vehicle. We administered medical treatment and transported him by ambulance to the hospital. His condition was light, and he remained fully conscious."

A 37-year-old man sustained moderate injuries after being struck at the scene in Afula and was evacuated for treatment.

Magen David Adom medics described the scene where the 18-year-old woman was fatally stabbed: "The wounded woman lay on the roadside beyond the separation barrier, unconscious and suffering from penetrating injuries to her body. We administered medical treatment, but her condition was critical, and we were compelled to pronounce her death."

The terrorist – West Bank resident

The attacker, a resident of Qabatiya near Jenin, had been staying in Israel for several days illegally. Police confirmed that the suspect was neutralized near HaMeonot Junction in Afula by a civilian bystander. The neutralized terrorist, a West Bank resident, was evacuated to the hospital in moderate condition. Investigation of the case continues at all scenes.

Police said, "A short time ago, a report was received about a stabbing incident near Ein Harod, during which a woman was wounded and a vehicle that fled the scene toward the city of Afula. The suspect vehicle was stopped a short time ago near the city of Afula, and the suspect was neutralized. Northern District police officers are at the scene, and the circumstances of the incident are under investigation."

A security official reported that initial findings indicate an Israeli citizen had employed the terrorist for an undetermined period. Security authorities are examining when and how he crossed into Israel, and whether the employment was on a regular basis.

Various authorities initially assessed that the incident was criminal in nature, but it was later determined to be a terror attack.

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The divide pits Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner against Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has the support of Secretary of War Pete Hegseth.

Witkoff and Kushner, who are effectively managing the contacts on behalf of the president, are pushing for rapid progress on all fronts, including progression to Phase 2 and compelling Israel to reopen the Rafah crossing while preparing for the second withdrawal. According to these sources, they have pursued workarounds to Hamas disarmament requirements, potentially considerably extending the timeline.

Rubio, who leads the department that historically pressured Israel toward concessions during Democratic administrations, has adopted the opposite approach. According to the sources, his positions emphasize caution and adherence to Trump's 20-point framework. Specifically, he insists on stripping Hamas of weaponry and transferring governance authority before any complete Israeli pullback.

Rubio has also exercised restraint on the Turkish question (Turkey's role in regional security frameworks), endorsing Israel's position against incorporating Turkish forces into the International Security Force (the multinational contingent envisioned for Gaza). Hegseth, who receives intelligence from Central Command chief Brad Cooper and the Kiryat Gat Civil-Military Coordination Center, recognizes Hamas violations, aid theft, and the necessity of maintaining IDF presence in the Strip. The Palestinian Authority's involvement in weapons collection and future Gaza Strip governance represents another unresolved dispute.

The Iranian challenge

Regarding Iran, the Defense Department and Hegseth validate intelligence Israel provides about reconstituted missile arrays and air defense networks, aligning with Rubio's firm position on Iran and issuing an ultimatum before entertaining negotiations.

Witkoff maintains that preventing Iran's nuclear resurgence remains achievable while objecting primarily to warfare resumption, citing risks to additional Gulf nations and their petroleum infrastructure from Iranian retaliation. Notably, this stance enjoys near-universal administration support, particularly since Israeli actions including settlement expansion undermine normalization prospects. Trump administration factions advocate applying Israeli sovereignty over West Bank territories within comprehensive agreements, resembling proposals from the Deal of the Century (Trump's 2020 Middle East peace initiative) unveiled six years ago.

This internal debate has not escaped Israeli attention. An Israeli official acknowledged that certain administration figures brief against Israel, manufacturing pressure for compromises and expedited yet perilous war-ending arrangements. Witkoff will join the presidential meeting with Netanyahu, while the prime minister separately consults Rubio, whose positions apparently kindle optimism in Jerusalem.

Meanwhile, applying Israeli law throughout Judea and Samaria will surface among numerous discussion topics during Trump-Netanyahu deliberations, Israel Hayom confirmed from multiple involved sources. Surprisingly, American pressure for advancing such initiatives exceeds Israeli momentum, following senior evangelical figures expressing determination to pursue it.

Northern arrangements

Trump and his team prioritize advancing two initiatives during Netanyahu meetings: civilian discussions with Lebanon's government and security arrangement negotiations with Syria's al-Sharaa administration. The administration perceives opportunities for launching positive developments potentially transforming the entire region. A regional diplomat noted that Syrian disagreements permit bridging while Lebanon presents abundant mutual interests forming foundations for eventual agreements.

Netanyahu himself responded to Israel Hayom inquiries this week that Israel envisions sovereign, stable Lebanon. He simultaneously emphasized addressing Hezbollah operatives directed from Iran.

Militarily, the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) has achieved merely partial success exposing Hezbollah's southern bunkers and arsenals, with Washington meetings addressing operational approaches following expired deadlines for Hezbollah's southern disarmament, minimally.

Syria introduces an additional dialogue partner: Turkey, al-Sharaa's benefactor, pursuing comprehensive protectorate zones while constraining Israeli aerial and terrestrial operations inside Syrian territory. Israel requires this airspace critically for Iranian approaches, with Turks reportedly deploying radar batteries into Syrian territory capable of detecting Israeli Air Force movements, according to unconfirmed accounts.

Iran dominates discussions both specifically regarding reconstituted missile capabilities and broadly concerning Israeli demands for fundamental Iranian problem resolution. Israeli delegations will present evidence documenting Iranian involvement stoking regional terror organizations and independently initiating terror operations.

The objective demands recognition that addressing Iran requires comprehensive treatment, otherwise regional conflicts persist or cyclical confrontations recur monthly. Assessments suggest minimal agreement on intensified, severe sanctions regimes surpassing current measures, systems producing additional economic weakening of Iran's collapsing economy.

Two additional subjects emerge. First, the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding), the bilateral security understanding expiring 2027, requiring foundational preliminary negotiations currently. Concurrently, bilateral trade relations, and technology and economic matters surface, spanning tariff questions through elite technology research collaborations.

The agenda's breadth will probably necessitate subsequent meetings between both leaders, with alternatives including delegating certain matters to ministerial and professional echelons.

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"On my fourth day in captivity I was sexually assaulted"

Gonen spoke for the first time candidly about the sexual assaults she endured during captivity: "I experienced various types of harassment from four different men during captivity, in four different levels of severity. After I arrived at the apartment from the hospital, I went into the shower and things happened.

"The first incident was with that doctor named Mohammad who came to check my condition and 'came to help me in the shower' because I was wounded. He took everything from me. I felt this was it. Only four days had passed and I have to continue living with him in the house. There is no way to know how this situation would have developed."

Gonen added: "After the incident in the shower another terrorist came to the apartment, and filmed the first video of me in Gaza."

She recounts in a choked voice: "Mohammad the cameraman was annoying, he was always close to me and I felt that something bad was going to happen. I am left alone with Mohammad the cameraman, I understand that he and I are going to sleep alone that night, I feel him getting close to me and he starts giving me a back massage.

"He is giving me the massage and he started going down to my waist. I told him 'stop touching me' and I move his hand away and he continues touching my waist. I got angry and yelled at him and went to the children's room to sleep there. I wake up in the morning and he wakes up and he tells me: 'Yesterday evening was a one-time thing. From today we sleep together, bed next to bed. I go with you to the bathroom. Every night I will handcuff you.'

"I took a pregnancy test"

"And so the days pass. Mohammad comes into the bathroom with me and looks at me. He constantly comes into the bathroom with me, they give me massages on my leg and continue on my whole body. This lasted 16 days. And they were the worst of my captivity."

About the anxiety fearing she had become pregnant after she did not get her period, she recounted: "I lied to them [the terrorists] that I have a husband. I did not get my period, this scared all of us. My biggest fear was that they did something to me, and they were sure that I slept with my 'husband' that I invented the day before the party and that I am pregnant. One day they brought a pregnancy test, which came back negative."

Gonen recounted the third harassment she experienced, which according to her was the most severe: "I went to the bathroom and he came after and there was the third harassment, it lasted half an hour and was the most severe. Until you are not in this situation you cannot understand what happens to the body. Fear paralyzes, and I was paralyzed. Nothing went through my mind in those seconds except that I am afraid and that I am disgusted.

"There was one moment in the bathroom while everything is happening and I am crying. I remember a moment when I look from the small window that was there, and the sky is blue, the birds are chirping – and this is the situation I am in right now. Dissonance between tranquility and birds chirping outside, and brutality and disgust at what is happening in the bathroom. I reached, for the third time, the worst situation there is."

"Gaya took her last breath"

Gonen recounted the morning of October 7 at the Nova Festival, where she had gone with her friend Gaya: "The light starts to come up, and I am filming videos, and Gaya is in the background. There was a beautiful sunrise that morning. I lift my head to the sky and I tell her: 'What is this, did they get us fireworks for the party?'" referring to the rockets launched from Gaza.

"Suddenly we started hearing people shouting 'terrorists.' We got out of the car and started running. We entered a wadi to hide in a bush. I was wearing pink pants that would make me visible no matter how well I hid. Suddenly Ben Shimoni arrives, a friend of Gaya's from work. Ben drove [back and forth] three times, I am the 13th person he saved. When he picked us up this was the third time he returned to Nova.

"We are heading toward home and we see 50 terrorists closing us off, they are waiting for us on the road. This is fear that there is no way to explain. In an instant, the vehicle was riddled with bullets. The windows shattered. I lift my head and see Ben not alive. Gaya screams 'Romi they shot me,' I sent my hand to check her pulse and exactly then a bullet hit me in that hand. We manage to exchange a good look in the eyes, and she took her last breath."

"They dragged me like a garbage bag"

"They lift me out of the vehicle, and put me on the road, I was afraid they would touch me and I was afraid they would rape me. A terrorist comes and he drags me like a garbage bag on the road. They grab me from the loops of my pants and throw me into their vehicle. We start driving. The terrorist punched me and we are driving with me all covered in blood.

"The first stop in Gaza was Shifa Hospital, they brought me into a room, at the entrance stood two people with Kalashnikovs. I am lying on a bed, one guy takes off my shoes another takes off my clothes, earrings and jewelry. I am lying there and 15 people are touching me. They cut my clothes and I am lying there naked.

"A few isolated days after I arrived in Gaza, I was lying there on the sofa in the living room, there was a radio on, and I heard 'Where is Romi?' I identified my mother's voice, I jumped from the sofa, I couldn't stop shaking," she recounted.

Following Gonen's testimony, Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X: Romi Gonen's testimony is heartbreaking. In a trembling voice, yet with extraordinary courage, Romi revealed the hell she endured in Hamas captivity – sexual violence and a systematic attempts to crush the human spirit. Her story must be told everywhere, so that all will remember what we endured as a people, what the hostages endured, and what Romi endured." He added, "Romi, you are a true hero. We salute your courage."

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