Shocking recordings uncover money trail from Qatar to Israeli PM’s spokesman

A bombshell recording aired this morning on Kan Reshet Bet’s This Morning program has exposed a shadowy financial pipeline linking Qatar to Eli Feldstein, the former spokesman for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The audio reveals that Israeli businessman Gil Birger funneled money from Jay Footlik—an American consultant and known lobbyist for the Qatari government—to Feldstein, raising serious questions about foreign influence in Israel’s highest political echelons.

The revelation centers on Birger’s candid admission in the recording that he facilitated the transfer at Footlik’s request. "He asked for my help because of VAT issues," Birger is heard saying, explaining his role in routing the funds. "I’ve known him for 25 years. I don’t work in this, I don’t work in Israel. He worked with him for a few months. He employed him, not me. I have an agreement with Jay on a lot of things." When pressed by Kan News on whether his Israeli company was used to move the money for tax purposes, Birger confirmed it was. Asked if others besides Feldstein received payments from the Qatari consultant, he deflected: "Ask him."

Feldstein, a key figure in Netanyahu’s inner circle, served as the Prime Minister’s spokesman but notably did not draw a salary from the Prime Minister’s Office for part of his tenure due to failing a security clearance—a detail that has fueled speculation about alternative funding sources. The recordings suggest that Footlik, a seasoned political operative with ties to Qatar’s government, employed Feldstein for several months, with Birger acting as the middleman to handle the payments. Birger told Kan News that Footlik’s work—and by extension, Feldstein’s—was related to efforts concerning Israeli hostages, though no further details were provided.

The disclosure has thrust Feldstein, already a polarizing figure, back into the spotlight. The 40-year-old has maintained that his work was solely for the Prime Minister’s Office, not Qatar. "I never worked for Qatar, never passed information to Qatar, and never received money from Qatar," his attorneys, Oded Svorai and Sivan Housman, told Kan News. They emphasized that Feldstein’s diplomatic and security-related activities were conducted "solely on behalf of and for the Prime Minister," arguing that his exclusion from the so-called "Qatargate" investigation—currently under a sweeping gag order—clears him of suspicion. "Reshet Bet wouldn’t violate the gag order, so it’s clear he’s not a suspect, and for good reason," they added.

Yet the recordings leave lingering doubts. If Feldstein was unaware that the money came from Qatari sources, as his team suggests, it raises the question of who authorized Birger to pay him—and why. Netanyahu’s office has not commented, and the gag order shrouding the broader "Qatargate" probe, which reportedly involves allegations of Qatari influence in Israeli politics, limits what can be confirmed. Still, the timing is awkward for the Prime Minister, whose coalition has faced criticism over foreign ties amid ongoing conflicts with Hamas, a group Qatar has historically funded.

For now, the recordings have ignited a firestorm, with Birger’s casual admission and Feldstein’s vehement denials clashing in a narrative that could shake Israel’s political landscape. The money trail from Doha to Jerusalem is now impossible to ignore.