Prime Minister Netanyahu speaking about Qatargate in this video snippet from i24 News (@Osint613/X)
Video clip from an i24 piece about the 'Qatargate' scandal

Qatargate 2.0? Netanyahu’s Legacy Engulfed in Arms Scandal

Details
The Judean Staff
National

A stunning exposé reveals Israeli defense giants sold advanced weapons to Hamas-backing Qatar — with the full approval of Netanyahu himself.

In what may ultimately be remembered as the most politically catastrophic misstep of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s once brilliant career, a bombshell report has exposed that top Israeli defense firms sold millions of dollars’ worth of weapons, cyber tools, and defense systems to Qatar — the Gulf monarchy widely regarded as the chief patron of Hamas and global Islamist terror.

And the most staggering detail? These controversial deals were approved not just by the Defense and Foreign Ministries — but by Netanyahu himself.

Qatar: Islamist State or Defense Partner?

Qatar, often described as the state sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, has long served as the primary financial and political lifeline for Hamas, the terrorist organization responsible for the October 7 massacre. The very idea that Israeli-made technology may have made its way into Qatari hands — and potentially into Hamas tunnels — has ignited a firestorm of outrage.

According to an explosive investigation by the Israeli daily Maariv's Ben Caspit, Israel’s leading defense companies — Elbit Systems, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) — each signed lucrative contracts with the Qatari regime in recent years.

  • Elbit: over $100 million in contracts

  • Rafael: tens of millions in deals

  • IAI: at least 20 high-level visits to Doha and a full-day Qatari delegation tour in Tel Aviv

And all of it, the report makes clear, was approved by the Prime Minister's Office — Netanyahu himself affixed his signature to these deals.

A Legacy Undone?

The question now haunting Israeli analysts and citizens alike is chilling: Could Israeli weapons or cyber technologies, approved by the Prime Minister, have ended up in the hands of the very terrorists who butchered civilians on October 7?

While some of these deals were reportedly frozen or canceled after the Hamas atrocities, it remains murky whether the cancellations came from Netanyahu’s government, the companies themselves, or other pressure.

Official statements from the firms are carefully worded:

Elbit: “All international activity is subject to the Defense Ministry’s guidelines.”
Rafael: “Rafael complies with all international standards and Israeli export laws.”

Not Netanyahu’s First Qatari Scandal

This is not Netanyahu’s first brush with scandal involving the Islamist emirate. The shadow of “Qatargate” continues to loom large, centered on allegations that Netanyahu aides Jonathan Urich and Eli Feldstein conducted illegal lobbying for pro-Qatari interests — including contact with foreign agents and unethical business dealings — while serving in the Prime Minister’s inner circle.

Moreover, it was Netanyahu who, more than a decade ago, personally arranged the agreement that enabled Qatar to transfer hundreds of millions of dollars to Hamas every month — funds now widely understood to have helped build the very terror tunnels that kept hostages hidden and allowed for Hamas’s war infrastructure to expand unabated.

Even today, the prime minister publicly acknowledges Qatar’s hostile role:

“Qatar is not a friendly state for us,” Netanyahu said last month. “Maybe the time has come to say this to our American friends in the clearest terms.”

A Crisis of Accountability

Despite overwhelming calls for a national reckoning after the October 7 debacle, Netanyahu’s government has refused to establish a state commission of inquiry.

Instead, he blames the military, intelligence failures, and vague "others" — all while political leaders remain untouched.

“We need an objective, unbiased commission,” Netanyahu claims. “Everyone will bear responsibility.”

Yet so far only military and intelligence officials have resigned — not a single political leader has stepped down. Adding insult to injury, Netanyahu’s cabinet recently blocked efforts to form a formal state commission of inquiry, proposing instead a watered-down, partisan investigation within the Knesset.

Opposition Leader Yair Lapid was scathing:

“The only meaning in not setting up a real commission is that the October 7 disaster will repeat itself. Netanyahu blocked investigations into the Meron stampede, into the submarine scandal — and now, once again, he runs from accountability.”

Conclusion: A Defining Betrayal?

At a time when Israelis are still mourning, still demanding answers, still trying to rebuild trust in their leadership, the revelation that Netanyahu willingly approved weapons sales to Qatar is more than a political scandal — it is a potential betrayal of national security.

If these reports are accurate, Netanyahu didn’t just fail to stop October 7 — he may have helped arm its perpetrators.

And for a nation built on resilience, vigilance, and the promise of “Never Again,” that possibility is nothing short of devastating.

 

 

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