COMMENTARY
Catering to Qatar
Jonathan Schanzer
May 2025

…The fawning treatment of Qatar did not begin with the new Trump administration. Rubio’s predecessor, Antony Blinken, did it too. On January 19, just before the Biden administration’s departure, Blinken “thanked the Prime Minister for his critical role in mediation efforts to reach a cease-fire that will end fighting in Gaza, bring the hostages home, and enable a surge in humanitarian assistance.” Set aside the undeniable fact that Qatar is a financial patron of both Hamas and the Taliban. Qatar is an autocratic, Islamist, terrorist-supporting, human rights–abusing regime that should not have any hand in U.S. foreign policy. Moreover, this tiny country of just 330,000 citizens represents roughly 0.00004 of the world’s population. Yet it somehow has gained immense influence in American politics. That must end. READ MORE

ISRAEL HAYOM Qatar’s comeback Mossad Director David Barnea is set to meet with Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani in Doha, amid ongoing efforts to broker a deal for the release of all hostages in exchange for a ceasefire. The visit is especially significant in light of Qatar’s recent shift regarding the demand for Hamas to disarm. The most significant development in recent days in the secret negotiations over a hostage deal and ceasefire in the Gaza Strip is Qatar’s agreement to the demand that Hamas disarm “the day after.”