Former Israeli premier Naftali Bennett, widely regarded as a leading contender in next year’s legislative elections, called on Monday for the resignation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing his office of “treason” over alleged Qatari funding to his aides.
Netanyahu has also announced he intends to seek another term in office ahead of the legislative elections scheduled for October 2026.
At the centre of the controversy is the “Qatargate” affair, in which close associates of Netanyahu are suspected of having been recruited by Qatar to promote the Gulf monarchy’s image in Israel.
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Qatar hosts senior Hamas leaders and has played a mediating role between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement during the war in Gaza.
An investigation is under way, and two of Netanyahu’s aides were taken into custody in late March.
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“Netanyahu’s office betrayed the State of Israel and IDF [Israeli military] soldiers in wartime, and acted on Qatar’s behalf out of greed, while Netanyahu himself seeks to cover up the affair,” Bennett charged in posts on his social media accounts.
“This is the most serious act of treason in Israel’s history,” he said.