Minister Eli Cohen on Thursday gave testimony in the ongoing Qatar-Gate affair. The session, held in his office, lasted less than 15 minutes.
According to the minister’s office, Cohen was questioned about a meeting request made several months ago by lobbyist Jay Footlik. Minister Cohen declined the request and did not hold the meeting.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Israeli authorities had issued an arrest warrant for Footlik, who is currently in the United States after the US government blocked the possibility of extradition proceedings against him.
Footlik, who served as a lobbyist for Qatar, is suspected of indirectly funding the fees of Eli Feldstein, a former advisor to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Footlik’s attorneys, Uri Corb and Sivan Russo, responded by stating, "Jay Footlik continues, as he has for the past two years, to work tirelessly at his own expense to assist the families of hostages in their efforts to bring their loved ones - brutally abducted by a terrorist organization - back home. In this context, Mr. Footlik is holding regular meetings around the world with the families, their associates, and various entities capable of aiding in the efforts to free the hostages."
They continued, “Mr. Footlik has cooperated from the outset and has already scheduled dates to provide his testimony to Israeli authorities. Therefore, issuing an arrest warrant in Israel under these circumstances is puzzling and unnecessary. It seems to be a decision aimed solely at exerting pressure, driven by factors unrelated to the investigation or the pursuit of truth. This may explain why US authorities have, at this stage, refused to allow legal proceedings, exercising their authority to reject cooperation in what appears to be a politically motivated investigation.”