Overview
- Haaretz reported that former columnist Alon Pinkas received payments over January 2024–March 2025 totaling in the hundreds of thousands, which he says were for policy papers.
- Investigators say the money moved through businessman Gil Birger and suspect it originated with lobbyist Jay Footlik, who has ties to pro-Qatar advocacy.
- Several Pinkas columns from the period tracked messaging flagged by Israel’s public broadcaster Kan, including criticism of Egypt’s role before October 7 and emphasizing Qatar’s mediation in hostage talks.
- Haaretz editor Aluf Benn said Pinkas initially denied the payments, then acknowledged monthly transfers via Birger; Pinkas left after an April 2025 editors’ meeting and the paper added disclosures to relevant columns.
- The revelations form part of the broader ‘Qatargate’ inquiry that previously led to the dismissal of Haaretz journalist Chaim Levinson, with no public indictments tied to the Pinkas reporting to date.