Former Netanyahu aide could face charges in security leak case

JERUSALEM AP Israel s attorney general noted Sunday a close adviser to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been advised that he could face criminal prosecution on claims of providing secret information with the intent of harming the country s measure The rise involving a central figure in what is popularly known in Israel as Qatargate comes after police earlier this year arrested the adviser Jonatan Urich and former spokesman Eli Feldstein on suspicion of accepting money from Qatar to promote a positive image of the Gulf Arab state in Israel Feldstein also has been indicted in a separate incident involving the leak of classified information to a German tabloid and Sunday s announcement says Urich could face criminal prosecution in that incident The attorney general s message disclosed Urich is accused of working with Feldstein to share highly classified Israeli military information and noted the release was intended among other things to influence residents awareness regarding the prime minister and to shift the discourse following the killing of six hostages in Gaza in August of last year The declaration says the criminal prosecution of Urich is subject to a hearing but does not say when that will occur There was no immediate masses reaction from the office of Netanyahu which has been ensnared in embarrassment while the prime minister continues to face pressure from the Israeli constituents over the -month war in Gaza In the Qatargate incident Urich and Feldstein were arrested earlier this year on suspicion of accepting money from Qatar a country that countless Israelis view as a patron of Hamas to promote it in Israel Qatar is a key mediator in the indirect ceasefire negotiations for Gaza and denies backing the militant group Netanyahu has given a report to police on the Qatargate matter but is not a suspect in the matter which he says is baseless and meant to topple his rule Separately Netanyahu is the subject of a long-running corruption trial Source