Israel issues arrest warrant against American lobbyist Jay Footlik over Qatargate scandal

After the U.S. Department of Justice dropped its investigation into American lobbyist for Qatar Jay Footlik, Israeli police issued an arrest warrant for him on Wednesday evening, to be enforced if he enters Israel.

Attorneys Uri Corb and Sivan Russo, who represent Footlik, stated: “Jay Footlik continues even these days, as he has for the past two years, to work tirelessly on a daily basis, at his own personal expense, day and night, in an effort to assist the families of the hostages in bringing back their loved ones, who were cruelly abducted by a brutal terrorist organization, into the arms of their families.”

“Mr. Footlik cooperated from the outset and already coordinated dates to give his testimony before the Israeli authorities. Therefore, issuing an arrest warrant in Israel under these circumstances is a puzzling and unnecessary step. It appears to be a decision aimed solely at exerting pressure, stemming from considerations unrelated to the investigation or the pursuit of truth. It is not unlikely that this is also the reason why the authorities in the United States have thus far refused to allow legal proceedings in the U.S., within their authority to reject requests for cooperation in an investigation of a political nature,” his attorneys said.

Meanwhile, a source in the “Qatargate” investigation told Kan News that the investigation is “far from over.” The source assessed that additional public figures still need to be questioned, and at this stage, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not be summoned for questioning.

The American lobbyist Jay Footlik, together with Israel Einhorn, led a public awareness campaign during the war starting in April 2024, aimed, among other things, at countering accusations against Qatar after Oct. 7 regarding its ties with Hamas.

About a week ago, Kan News reported suspicions that Qatar had allegedly paid $10 million to former senior Israeli defense officials, ex-Mossad operatives, executives of the Israeli company Koios Tech, and individuals within Netanyahu's circle – in connection with projects at the center of the investigation.