The Lod District Court rejected an appeal by Netanyahu’s former adviser Yonatan Urich, ruling that restrictions on his release — including a ban on contact with Prime Minister Netanyahu — will remain in place amid suspicions of ties to Qatar.
Court Rejects Appeal
The Lod District Court, led by Judge Amit Michles, has upheld the police position in the high-profile Qatar-Gate affair, ruling that former Netanyahu aide Yonatan Urich must remain under his current release restrictions.
The conditions — including a ban on contacting individuals involved in the case, among them Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as restrictions on travel — will stay in force until the investigation concludes.
Grave Allegations
Urich was arrested earlier this year alongside Eli Feldstein, suspected of providing confidential information to the German newspaper Bild and of breach of trust.
Police argue that evidence indicates Urich worked to advance Qatar’s interests, receiving large sums of money in exchange, while allegedly concealing his activities from Netanyahu himself. According to investigators, such actions may have endangered Israel’s national security.
Judge Michles stressed:
“This is not negligible. There is reasonable suspicion that the respondent engaged in business activity designed to promote Qatar’s image internationally, including positioning it as a fair mediator in hostage-release negotiations with Hamas.”
He further noted that the sums involved were “not negligible at all”, strengthening suspicions of the scope of Urich’s role.
Defense and Pushback
Urich’s defense team argued that most of the investigation materials had already been collected, claiming the restrictions serve only to bar him from resuming his work.
Nonetheless, Judge Michles ruled that the investigation remains active and should be completed without interference.
Urich Responds
Following the decision, Urich defiantly wrote on his X (Twitter) account:
“There is no force in the world that will prevent me from returning to work for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”
