Israeli president urges full Qatargate investigation, denies Netanyahu’s ‘deep state’ claims

President Isaac Herzog called for a thorough investigation into the Qatargate scandal saying on Monday it needed to be “deeply probed.” He also decried a loss of public trust in state institutions.

Speaking at the Yedioth Ahronoth conference in Tel Aviv, Herzog said, of the scandal, “There are questions that need to be deeply probed. I trust the police and law enforcement authorities. These are subjects that are critical to Israel’s security.”

Two of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s key advisers, Yonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein, were arrested on March 31 as part of an ongoing investigation into potentially illegal connections between Israeli officials and Qatar. Urich and Feldstein are suspected of working for a pro-Qatar lobbying firm. Urich was released to home arrest on Monday.

Herzog also rejected Netanyahu’s claims that a “deep state” of unelected bureaucrats is working to undermine his government. “There’s no deep state and there’s no dictatorship here,” Herzog said. “A large silent majority in the country says — there will be no civil war, unequivocally obey the law and unequivocally obey the High Court rulings.”

Herzog acknowledged the deep disagreements within Israel’s political sphere but maintained that such differences do not threaten the country’s democracy. “We have deep disagreements — but that does not mean democracy is gone. There are deep debates here, lively debates,” he said. “There is a law enforcement system that is functioning, and tomorrow there will be a hearing in the Supreme Court—and I trust it will hear all sides and address the matter substantively,” he continued, referring to the High Court’s upcoming hearing on the government’s controversial decision to fire Ronen Bar, the head of the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet).

The government voted to fire Bar on March 21, but the High Court of Justice issued a temporary restraining order against the move. The court is expected to hold a hearing on the matter by April 8.

Bar claims that Netanyahu’s decision to dismiss him was influenced by a conflict of interest related to the Qatargate investigation.

Addressing concerns that the government might refuse to comply with a potential High Court ruling reinstating Bar, Herzog said, “There is an absolute duty to comply with court rulings; this is a fundamental principle. The court is essential for us to function as a democratic society. Most of the public also demands the respect of their human rights. We need to understand that in order to respect human rights and the basic rights of citizens, we need a strong, independent, and autonomous judicial system, and it must be respected.”

The Shin Bet, Israel’s domestic intelligence service, is responsible for counterterrorism, counterintelligence, internal security, VIP protection, and cybersecurity. The only Shin Bet director to ever leave before the end of his five-year term was Carmi Gillon, who resigned in 1995 in the aftermath of the 1995 assassination of Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin.

Herzog also reiterated his call for a State Commission of Inquiry into the October 7 massacre, advocating for a thorough investigation into the tragedy. “It is also possible to include a wider variety of [experts from] fields that are not part of the existing conception; all of this is legitimate,” he said. The president stressed that the commission’s work must provide lessons for future generations. “Many proposals are reaching the President’s residence, and I once again expect and call for attentiveness to everything related to an in-depth inquiry through a State Commission of Inquiry,” Herzog said.

Such commissions have broader authority to summon witnesses and collect evidence and are headed by a senior Supreme Court justice. They may include personal recommendations about individuals under investigation, though the government is not bound to act on them.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has resisted calls for an inquiry, saying he opposes a “politically biased” probe. Critics accuse Netanyahu of delaying the inquiry and trying to water down its mandate.

The last state commission of inquiry, which investigated Israel’s worst civilian disaster — a stampede that killed 45 people at a holy site on Mount Meron — held Netanyahu personally responsible for the tragedy in a report released in 2024.