Overview
- Haaretz reported that Pinkas received hundreds of thousands in payments from January 2024 through March 2025 while writing for the paper.
- The funds were routed through businessman Gil Birger from a company controlled by Washington lobbyist Jay Footlik, according to the report.
- Several Pinkas columns echoed themes described as part of a Footlik-drafted messaging campaign, Haaretz said.
- Pinkas denies involvement in or knowledge of any Qatari influence effort and says he was paid for policy papers for other clients after initially helping contacts without compensation.
- Haaretz editors summoned Pinkas to a meeting and he later left the paper; coverage says the outlet subsequently added disclosures to columns from the period, with no public finding of legal wrongdoing reported.