Naftali Bennett

The suspect, Lachao Damsash, was in contact with Iranian intelligence elements and carried out a range of tasks at their direction in exchange for payment.

The figures show that the number of Israelis who left Israel for in excess of nine months in the years 2023-2025 is around 211,000.

The Iranian hackers shared a series of photos, including one of Shaked at a meeting with Bennett and another of her posing with several IDF soldiers.

“Section 121 of the Criminal Law explicitly states that a person who deliberately harms Israel’s relations with another country faces up to life imprisonment," Bennett said.

As protests grow across Iran, the Mossad posted an unusual Farsi message urging demonstrators to act, saying it is with them in the streets, amid rising economic pressure and public unrest.

Against the backdrop of the draft law, the establishment of a government commission of inquiry, and the interview by Eli Feldstein on the Qatargate affair, coalition parties maintain their strength.

DIPLOMATIC AFFAIRS: Whether both scandals were reckless media manipulation, systemic mismanagement, or something darker – the common denominator is a flawed judgment.

Vadim Kupriyanov, an Israeli in his 40s, was arrested in December 2025 for allegedly working with Iranian intelligence, carrying out security missions for payment over the past two months.

Bennett stated that while he would not claim Netanyahu ordered his advisers to act on behalf of Qatar, he should have "been the first to cry out and take action" when the affair was revealed.

Yair Lapid, who also briefly served in the role, called it the "most serious treason case in the history of the State.”