Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu plans to file a 500,000-shekel defamation lawsuit against Yoav Horowitz, his former chief of staff and former director-general of the Prime Minister's Office, following his harsh accusations against Netanyahu in connection with the Qatar Gate affair.
Horowitz, one of the founders of Gadi Eisenkot's Yashar party, gave several media interviews over the past 24 hours in which he accused Netanyahu of involvement in the affair surrounding alleged ties between his adviser, Yonatan Urich, and Qatari officials.
During one interview, Horowitz claimed that "Benjamin Netanyahu is a Qatari agent."
Referring to reports that Urich had allegedly met with a senior Qatari official, Horowitz said, "The real story is Netanyahu. Netanyahu sent him."
Horowitz went on to clarify that he believed this allegation should serve as the starting point for examining the affair.
"It's not just that I believe it. I'm saying this should be the working assumption for all of us. The Prime Minister is part of this affair. That's what we need to assume."
He added, "He is suspected of being a Qatari agent. That includes the Prime Minister. I maintain that the person responsible for this whole affair is Benjamin Netanyahu."
Following the remarks, the Likud issued a strongly worded statement announcing Netanyahu's intention to take legal action against a man who had once been among his closest confidants.
"Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will file a 500,000-shekel defamation lawsuit against Eisenkot's partner, Yoav Horowitz, over his serious and false inflammatory statements against the Prime Minister today," the Likud stated.
The party added, "Those who lie and incite will pay."