When Zvika Klein was asked to attend the offices of the Lahav 433 international crime investigations unit this week, he assumed he had nothing to fear.

One of the best-connected editors in the Jerusalem Post’s recent history, and personally responsible for numerous scoops, the 42-year-old is a widely respected figure both in Israel and, thanks to his assiduous bridge-building, the international Jewish diaspora.

Yet, in his own words, shortly after arriving at police headquarters, “everything turned upside down”.

Placed under arrest, Klein says he was then subjected to 12 hours of “harsh” interrogation, his trailblazing scoops presented against him as evidence of possible crimes.

The investigation? So-called “Qatargate”, a scandal that reached fever pitch this week with the arrest of two of Benjamin Netanyahu’s close aides.

In an extraordinary spectacle, even for a country already roiled by legal drama at the top of government, the prime minister was forced to cut short giving evidence in his corruption trial on Monday to assist police with their inquiries into his staff.

Investigators believe that Jonatan Urich and Eli Feldstein used their position in the prime minister’s office to promote Qatar’s image within Israeli and international media via off-the-record briefings in return for money.

In post-Oct 7 Israel, that is an acutely controversial claim.