Leaked docs scandal: Judge rules - Eli Feldstein and Ari Rosenfeld to remain under house arrest 

A political firestorm engulfing Eli Feldstein, the former spokesperson for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, intensified this week as explosive recordings and a court ruling thrust him deeper into a web of controversy involving alleged Qatari funds and leaked classified documents.

On Wednesday, a Tel Aviv District Court judge rejected Feldstein’s bid to ease his house arrest conditions, while earlier revelations of a money trail from Qatar to Feldstein raised fresh questions about foreign influence in Israel’s leadership circle.

Feldstein, 40, has been under scrutiny since his arrest alongside Ari Rosenfeld, a reservist soldier, months ago. The pair are suspected of mishandling classified information in a case that has rattled Israel’s security establishment. Rosenfeld allegedly stole a sensitive document and passed it to Feldstein, who then leaked it to the German newspaper Bild. Authorities suspect the act was intended to harm national security—a charge both deny. Feldstein was released to house arrest with electronic monitoring three months ago, while Rosenfeld secured his release six weeks ago after an appeal to the Supreme Court.

Today (Wednesday), District Court Judge Alaa Masarwa dashed their hopes of relief, rejecting their request to lift or ease the house arrest terms despite no apparent progress in the investigation.

In his ruling, Judge Masarwa dismissed the defense’s plea as premature. "The request for reconsideration preempted other requests more relevant to the defense’s claims, such as disclosure of investigation materials or removal of a confidentiality certificate," he wrote. "Immediately following the last hearing in the main case, the defense sought to revisit the detention conditions, without exhausting their rights in the main case, without the passage of time, or any real change in circumstances. Not every slowdown in the main proceedings justifies a reconsideration. There is no end to this." The decision leaves Feldstein and Rosenfeld confined to their homes, ankle monitors in place, as the prosecution’s case stalls—a situation their legal team has decried as unjust.

The Qatari connection adds a volatile layer to the affair. Feldstein’s tenure as Netanyahu’s spokesperson was marred by his inability to secure a security clearance, barring him from an official salary from the Prime Minister’s Office for part of his stint. Feldstein’s attorneys, Oded Svorai and Sivan Housman, insist he’s innocent of any wrongdoing tied to Qatar. "He never worked for Qatar, never passed information to Qatar, and never received money from Qatar," they told Kan News. "All his activities were conducted solely on behalf of the Prime Minister." They note that Feldstein isn’t a suspect in the broader "Qatargate" investigation—currently under a gag order—arguing this clears him of direct involvement with Doha.

The Prime Minister’s Office has remained silent, but the timing is awkward for Netanyahu, whose coalition faces accusations of cozying up to Qatar, a known backer of Hamas, amid ongoing hostage negotiations and war in Gaza. The Shin Bet and police are already probing ties between Netanyahu’s office and Qatar, a separate thread that could intersect with Feldstein’s case.

For now, Feldstein and Rosenfeld remain in limbo, their legal fates tied to a slow-moving investigation and a judge unwilling to budge. The Qatari money trail, meanwhile, threatens to unravel a broader scandal, with Birger’s casual admission clashing against Feldstein’s denials. As Israel grapples with internal strife and external threats, this double-edged story—part espionage, part influence peddling—casts a long shadow over the nation’s leadership.