An Israeli businessman transferred money from a lobbyist for the Qatari government to Eli Feldstein, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's spokesman for military affairs, as the businessman admitted in a recording revealed on Wednesday morning, on Reshet Bet.
The businessman came to the aid of Qatari lobbyist, Jay Footlik, when he asked him to transfer the money for tax purposes.
Channel 13 reported yesterday how the money had been moved from the Qatari government to Feldstein, when US consultant Jay Footlik, who is employed by the Qatari government, transferred the money to an Israeli businessman named Gil Birger, and Birger was the one who paid Feldstein, while he was working as the Prime Minister's spokesman.
Birger's recordings, revealed this morning on Kan News provide a glimpse into the path the money took, when he said that he transferred money from Footlik to Feldstein: "He asked for my help because of VAT matters. I've known him for 25 years. I don't deal with this stuff, 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 about a lot of things."
To be noted that Feldstein did not receive a salary from any official in the Prime Minister's Office for part of his employment period, because he did not pass security clearance and it was impossible to continue employing him. Throughout this time, Feldstein claimed that he did not work with the Qatari government, but rather in the Prime Minister's Office, and stated that his managers were the Prime Minister's spokespersons.