Netanyahu Aide Consulted ChatGPT on Whitewashing Qatar's Image During Gaza War

A close adviser to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been accused of seeking ways to improve Qatar’s public image during the ongoing Gaza war. According to a Channel 12 report, Jonatan Urich repeatedly consulted ChatGPT in September 2024 for messaging strategies to rehabilitate Qatar’s international reputation.

Urich is said to have asked ChatGPT for ideas on how to ‘whitewash’ Qatar and improve its image among various target audiences. The conversations were reportedly presented during his police interrogation, where he was confronted with the exchanges. Urich did not deny the existence of these conversations but claimed that he had done nothing with them.

Urich’s actions have sparked fierce criticism from opposition leaders and families affected by the October 7 Hamas attack. Gadi Eisenkot, a former IDF chief of staff and leader of the Yashar party, accused Netanyahu of allowing Urich to continue working in one of Israel’s most sensitive government offices despite the allegations.

Eisenkot alleged that ‘a Qatari agent operated, and continues to operate, in the Prime Minister’s Office, conducting psychological terror against Israeli citizens.’ He also claimed that this happened while Israeli soldiers were risking their lives on the battlefield and Hamas terrorists funded by Qatar held hostages. Eisenkot accused Netanyahu of allowing Urich to continue working despite these allegations.

Avigdor Lieberman, chairman of the opposition Yisrael Beytenu party, condemned the affair and linked it directly to Israel’s upcoming October 27 election. He stated that ‘on October 27, we will remove the Qatari office in Jerusalem from power’ and establish a state commission of inquiry to expose all failures of the government responsible for the October massacre.

The report also prompted an emotional response from Einav Zangauker, mother of hostage Matan Zangauker. She wrote that while her son was being held captive by Hamas in Gaza, Urich was running campaigns for Qatar, which funded the massacre. ‘There is no forgiveness, and there never will be, for this betrayal,’ she stated.

Shir Matias, whose parents were murdered by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023, also accused Netanyahu of shielding his adviser. She claimed that Urich’s mission was to whitewash those who financed her parents’ murderers after the attack. ‘Prime Minister Netanyahu, why are you silent? Why do you continue to back him?’ she asked.

Urich responded to the report by stating that it revealed only a ‘fragment’ of an interrogation conducted a year earlier. He claimed that everything published had been in the possession of numerous journalists for a long time and that they discussed it with him, but none saw fit to address his ChatGPT queries because he did nothing with them.

The controversy surrounding Urich’s actions has sparked widespread outrage among Israelis. Many are calling for Netanyahu to take action against his adviser, who is accused of promoting Qatar’s interests while Israel was at war.