The Petah Tikva Magistrate’s Court on Friday ordered two close associates of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—Jonathan Urich, a senior adviser, and Eli Feldstein, a former spokesperson—to be released to house arrest until April 22, rejecting a police request to extend their detention by seven days.
The hearing was part of the ongoing investigation into the so-called “Qatargate” affair, in which the two are suspected of acting on behalf of the Qatari government while serving in advisory roles to the prime minister.
In his ruling, Judge Menachem Mizrahi sharply criticized the police, stating: “I cannot give weight to a supposed threat that only surfaced today. Regrettably, there is concern that the investigators used the detention period to pursue a separate line of inquiry.”
Police have requested a delay in the release in order to appeal the decision to the district court.
