<a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/prince-charles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Prince Charles</a> took bags stuffed with millions in cash from a controversial <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Arab sheikh</a> to fund his charity and private estate, according to a bombshell report by <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/charles-accepted-1m-cash-in-suitcase-from-sheikh-j2pgnfsgx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sunday Times</a>.
The heir to the British throne took the money in suitcases, shopping bags, and a duffle bag between 2011 and 2015 from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jaber Al Thani, the former prime minister of Qatar according to the <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/charles-accepted-1m-cash-in-suitcase-from-sheikh-j2pgnfsgx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. The money was reportedly handed over in secret meetings at Prince Charles’ official London residence, Clarence House.
“Everyone felt very uncomfortable about the situation,” a former adviser to Prince Charles told the newspaper. “The only thing we could do was to count the money and make a mutual record of what we’d done. And then call the bank.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Royalty are not waging a War on Cash then! 🤑👑
“Prince Charles accepted €1m cash in suitcase from sheikh” <a href="https://t.co/gqV0MX7WlR">https://t.co/gqV0MX7WlR</a>
&mdash; Laura Dodsworth (@BareReality) <a href="https://twitter.com/BareReality/status/1540981358545215489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 26, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The money, totaling €3 million, which is approximately $3.68 million, went to the Prince of Wales’ Charitable Fund, a charity that funds Prince Charles’ pet projects and supports his Scottish country estate, according to the Times.
Al Thani, 62, was prime minister of Qatar from 2007 until 2013. His great uncle founded the nation in 1971, and his cousin is the current emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani. Al Thani is a billionaire and owns 3% of Deutsche Bank.
A Clarence House official insisted that the donations were correctly reported, and there was no allegation the payments were illegal.
“Charitable donations received from Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim were passed immediately to one of the prince’s charities who carried out the appropriate governance and have assured us that all the correct processes were followed,” the prince’s office said in a statement on Sunday.
But the report is likely to renew criticism of the prince selling access. Last year, his longtime aide Michael Fawcett was fired from a separate charity, the Prince’s Foundation, amid allegations he used his influence to get a visa and royal honors for a Saudi billionaire.
Mahfouz Marei Mubarak bin Mahfouz allegedly paid tens of thousands of dollars for the honorary title of “Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire,” according to <a class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/prince-charles-aides-fixed-cbe-for-saudi-tycoon-who-gave-1-5m-0b5cb7qf2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Sunday Times</a>. Fawcett was allegedly paid to secure the title and help Mahfouz land a “golden visa” and future UK citizenship.
Prince Charles personally bestowed the award upon Mahfouz at an unpublicized 2016 ceremony at Buckingham Palace.
London police are currently investigating that case, although Clarence House has said Charles had no knowledge of any pay-for-access deals.

The Prince Of Wales Visits Flood-Hit Communities In South Yorkshire

Prince Charles Took Bags Stuffed With Millions In Cash From Arab Sheikh: Report

King Charles III

Qatar

Royal Family

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk made it clear on Tuesday that he did not agree with the current administration officials — including President Joe Biden himself — who have claimed that a recession was &#8220;not inevitable.&#8221;
<a href="https://dailywire.com/news/i-dont-even-care-if-it-lowers-my-life-expectancy-elon-musk-raves-about-diet-coke-popcorn-and-movies/">Musk</a> made the comments during an appearance at the Qatar Economic Forum, saying, &#8220;A recession is inevitable at some point. As to whether there is a recession in the near term, that is more likely than not. It is not a certainty, but it appears more likely than not.&#8221;
The Tesla CEO&#8217;s assessment is diametrically opposed to the one embraced by the White House, with President Biden saying as recently as Monday that he did not believe the United States was doomed to face a <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/watch-biden-pushes-back-at-reporter-over-recession-warnings-dont-make-things-up/">recession</a> in the near term.
&#8220;Economists are saying that a recession is more likely than ever,&#8221; one reporter prompted Biden, who responded by saying that the question made the reporter sounded &#8220;like a Republican politician.&#8221;
&#8220;Now you sound like a Republican politician, I&#8217;m joking, that was a joke, that was a joke. But all kidding aside, no I don&#8217;t think it is. I was talking to Larry Summers this morning, there&#8217;s nothing inevitable about a recession,&#8221; Biden said — but Summers has said on several occasions that he believes a recession is likely coming, and soon.
&#8220;Look, nothing is certain, and all economic forecasts have uncertainty. My best guess is that a recession is ahead. I base that on the fact that we haven’t had a situation like the present with inflation above 4 percent and unemployment beyond 4 percent without a recession following within a year or two,&#8221; <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/3529163-larry-summers-my-best-guess-is-that-there-is-a-recession-ahead/">Summers</a> told NBC&#8217;s Chuck Todd on Sunday&#8217;s &#8220;Meet the Press.&#8221;
Treasury Secretary <a href="https://dailywire.com/news/yellen-recession-not-inevitable-russias-war-to-blame-for-soaring-inflation/">Janet Yellen</a> <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2022/06/19/recession-biden-administration-officials-00040719">agreed</a> with Biden during a Sunday appearance on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; saying that although she did expect the economy to slow, she did not believe recession was inevitable.
&#8220;I expect the economy to slow. It’s been growing at a very rapid rate as the economy, as the labor market is recovered and we reached full employment,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It’s natural now that we expect to transition to steady and stable growth. I don’t think recession is at all inevitable.&#8221;
Musk, for his part, predicted major upheaval in May — but he seemed confident that the disruption would bring about a much-needed correction. &#8220;[This] is actually a good thing. It has been raining money on fools for too long. Some bankruptcies need to happen,&#8221; he <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1529983508206190592">tweeted</a>. &#8220;Also, all the COVID stay-at-home stuff has tricked people into thinking that you don’t actually need to work hard. Rude awakening inbound!&#8221;

Key Speakers At The Qatar Economic Forum

Elon Musk Splits With Biden Advisers, Says ‘Recession Is Inevitable’

Elon Musk Splits With Biden Advisors, Says 'Recession Is Inevitable'

Economy

Elon Musk

Recession

A highly decorated, retired four-star general resigned as head of liberal think tank Brookings Institution Sunday amid an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/fbi">FBI</a> investigation into a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-seize-data-from-retired-four-star-general-who-now-works-at-leftist-think-tank">foreign lobbying scheme</a>.
Former Marine Gen. John Allen, who as deputy commander of U.S. Central Command from 2008-11 led U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, is under investigation for allegedly making false statements to authorities about his alleged efforts to lobby the U.S. on behalf of Qatar. The FBI seized electronic data from Allen last week, according to an <a class="Link" href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-us-news-think-tanks-nato-ap-top-5c30827587d2295012549d5d65fc806e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press report</a> last week.
“I know it is best for all concerned in this moment,” Allen wrote in a letter to the institution in which he said he left with a &#8220;heavy heart.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
BREAKING: Retired U.S. Marine Corps Gen. John Allen, president of the Brookings Institution, has resigned amid a federal investigation into whether he illegally lobbied on behalf of the wealthy Persian Gulf nation of Qatar. <a href="https://t.co/nRTcEXCDq2">https://t.co/nRTcEXCDq2</a>
&mdash; The Associated Press (@AP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AP/status/1536081416131334147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 12, 2022</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Allen has not yet been charged with any crime in connection with the investigation.
Brookings placed Allen on administrative leave the day after The Associated Press reported the investigation last week. The Washington-based think tank, which was founded in 1916 and conducts research in economic policy and development with the stated mission strengthening American democracy, issued a statement to staffers after Allen stepped down.
“We want to thank John for his contributions to Brookings, including his leadership in successfully guiding the institution during the pandemic, as well as his many years of service and sacrifice for our country,“ co-chairs of the Board of Trustees Glenn Hutchins and Suzanne Nora Johnson wrote in an internal email.
“The integrity and objectivity of Brookings’s scholarship constitute the institution’s principal assets, and Brookings seeks to maintain high ethical standards in all its operations,&#8221; the email continued. &#8220;Our policies on research independence and integrity reflect these values.”
In court filings, the Department of Justice details Allen’s alleged secret efforts to help Qatar influence U.S. policy in June 2017 when a diplomatic crisis erupted between the Qatar and its neighbors. An FBI agent said in an affidavit in support of a search warrant there was “substantial evidence” that Allen knowingly broke a foreign lobbying law, made false statements to federal investigators, and withheld “incriminating” documents.
Brookings, which took in over $85 million in 2020 and boasts an endowment of more than a quarter of a billion dollars, was accused in a 2014 <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/us/politics/foreign-powers-buy-influence-at-think-tanks.html">New York Times</a> investigation of taking payments from foreign governments including Norway while lobbying American government officials on their behalf. In the same report, the Times said Qatar was Brookings&#8217; &#8220;single biggest foreign donor,&#8221; having made a $14.8 million, four-year contribution in 2013.
Allen took the helm in 2017.

Gen. John Allen

Decorated General Resigns From Liberal Think Tank Amid Qatar Lobbying Probe

Pentagon

The FBI has reportedly seized the electronic data from a retired four-star U.S. general who now works at a leftist think tank because he allegedly made false statements to authorities and withheld documents that implicated himself in an illegal Qatari foreign lobbying scheme.
&#8220;New federal court filings obtained Tuesday outlined a potential criminal case against former Marine Gen. John R. Allen, who led U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan before being tapped in 2017 to lead the influential Brookings Institution,&#8221; the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-john-r-allen-qatar-middle-east-united-arab-emirates-5c30827587d2295012549d5d65fc806e">reported</a>. &#8220;It’s part of an expanding investigation that has ensnared Richard G. Olson, a former ambassador to the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan who pleaded guilty to federal charges last week, and Imaad Zuberi, a prolific political donor now serving a 12-year prison sentence on corruption charges.&#8221;
FBI agent Babak Adib wrote in the application to obtain a search warrant that there was &#8220;substantial evidence&#8221; that Allen, who spoke at the Democratic National Convention in 2016, made &#8220;willful&#8221; &#8220;violations&#8221; of the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Feds say that Allen gave a “false version of events” about his work for Qatar and that he failed to turn over relevant documents after he was subpoenaed by a grand jury.
The Associated Press suggested that the case against Allen was accidentally filed in error in the court docket system and that it was removed after the organization asked federal law enforcement officials for comment.
&#8220;Allen declined to comment on the new filings,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;He has previously denied ever working as a Qatari agent and said his efforts on Qatar in 2017 were motivated to prevent a war from breaking out in the Gulf that would put U.S. troops at risk.&#8221;

The 2016 Democratic National Convention

Feds Seize Data From Retired Four Star General Who Now Works At Leftist Think Tank

Crime

Democrats

Technology

Matthew Putorti, an attorney in New York City running against newly appointed House Republican Conference chair Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), previously registered as a foreign agent to lobby on behalf of the “Embassy of Qatar.”
The Daily Caller reported last week that Putorti had to have campaign donations returned by two Democrats in 2019 when they discovered he had lobbied on behalf of Qatar, a hostile nation. As the Caller reported, Putorti’s registration from February 23, 2019, said he provided “assistance with legal, communications and public affairs matters” to the “Embassy of Qatar” on a “part-time basis.”
“The Democrat <a href="https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Whitehall-lawyer-Democrat-announces-bid-to-16244820.php">running for Congress</a> works as an insurance and arbitration lawyer for the New York City <a href="https://www.pillsburylaw.com/en/lawyers/matthew-putorti.html">firm</a> Pillsbury, Winthrop, Shaw, Pittman LLP,” the Caller reported. “In 2019, he <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/search?q=matthew+putorti&amp;type=donors">donated</a> $750 to Pete Buttigieg and $250 to Beto O’Rourke. The Buttigieg and O’Rourke donations drew scrutiny after it surfaced that Putorti registered under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).”
The Department of Justice <a href="https://www.justice.gov/nsd-fara">explains</a> that FARA requires “certain agents of foreign principals who are engaged in political activities … to make periodic public disclosure of their relationship with the foreign principal, as well as activities, receipts and disbursements in support of those activities.”
Both O’Rourke and Buttigieg returned their donations from Putorti after learning about his FARA registration.
“I voluntarily terminated my registration under the Foreign Agent Registration Act effective July 31, 2019. I was initially registered out of an abundance of caution, in advance of a client meeting I ultimately did not attend,” Putorti told the National Interest when the registration was discovered. “My contributions to these candidates were not accepted and were instead returned to me.”
Putorti’s work on behalf of Qatar is especially curious given that he is openly gay, while Qatar is notoriously anti-LGBT. In November 2019, months after Putorti terminated his FARA registration, Forbes <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/laurabegleybloom/2019/11/25/most-dangerous-places-safest-lgbtq-gay-travelers/?sh=c853a6711694">ranked</a> Qatar as the second-most dangerous country in the world for LGBTQ individuals, behind only Nigeria. The list was created by Lyric Fergusson and her husband, who created the LGBTQ+ Danger Index to rate countries according to how safe they are for gay travelers.
“Coming in second on our LGBTQ+ Danger Index is Qatar,” Fergusson told Forbes. “This oil-rich Middle Eastern country enforces up to three years in prison, flogging and the death penalty under Sharia law for any acts of homosexuality. Tourism to Qatar is expected to skyrocket for the 2022 World Cup—which is to take place there—and <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/qatar-world-cup-sponsors-and-broadcasters-risk-red-card-over-anti-gay-laws-qcdwkcxmq">suspending anti-LGBT laws</a> during the tournament has been discussed, though ultimately rejected by the Qatari government.”
On Wednesday, Putorti tweeted in support of Pride, saying that he felt accepted in Upstate New York when he came out as gay.
“When I came out as gay, the people in my small hometown in Upstate New York accepted me &#8212; because that&#8217;s who they are. I acknowledge the privilege of feeling safe enough to come out and of being accepted,” Putorti <a href="https://twitter.com/MattPutorti/status/1407705253663973377">tweeted</a>.
Putorti’s campaign did not immediately respond to a Daily Wire request for comment.

Elise Stefanik

Democrat Challenging Elise Stefanik Previously Lobbied For Qatar

LGBTQ

Two German beach volleyball stars are planning to boycott a tournament in Qatar because of its prohibition of wearing bikinis on court.
Karla Borger, who won a silver medal at the 2013 World Championships alongside her teammate Britta Büthe, told radio station Deutschlandfunk, “We are there to do our job, but are being prevented from wearing our work clothes. This is really the only country and the only tournament where a government tells us how to do our job – we are criticizing that. … We are asking whether it’s necessary to hold a tournament there at all.”
As a result of the no-bikini policy, Borger and her current teammate Julia Sude say they will boycott the Qatar tournament.
“The event in March is the first time that Doha has hosted a women’s beach volleyball event, after seven years hosting a men’s competition,” The Guardian notes.
According to the world beach volleyball federation, FIVB, Qatar’s requirement that women wear shirts and long trousers rather than the usual bikinis is a rule which is implemented “out of respect for the culture and traditions of the host country.” FIVB emailed <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/beach-volleyball-bikini-ban-leads-top-players-boycotting-tournament-1571280">Newsweek</a>, saying it &#8220;respects the rights of all athletes to decide which events they compete in.&#8221;
“However, the organization added it ‘only received positive feedback’ when a ‘democratic consultation’ with players was held over the possibility of the tournament being held in Qatar,” Newsweek added.
FIVB’s email to Newsweek added:
<blockquote>In early January, the female Athletes&#8217; Commission members collected opinions among athletes about hosting the event in Doha and an anonymous survey among the international beach volleyball players was also conducted. The FIVB worked closely with the QVA (Qatar Volleyball Association) to provide detailed information about the event, including uniform requirements and safety protocols in the bubble. The FIVB only received positive feedback from this consultation and no concerns regarding uniforms were raised. Players expressed their support for the initiative to hold the first-ever women&#8217;s beach volleyball tournament in Doha.</blockquote>
The Qatar Volleyball Association issued a statement to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/pro-beach-volleyball-players-qatar-tournament-bikini-attire">Fox News</a>, saying:
<blockquote>The Qatar Volleyball Association (QVA) is committed to ensuring that all athletes are made to feel welcome and comfortable at next month’s historic FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour 4-star event in Doha. We have been in close consultation with the FIVB and have prepared for the event in line with the FIVB’s Code of Conduct.
We would like to make clear that we are not making any demand on what athletes should wear at the event. We fully respect the FIVB’s Code of Conduct and have demonstrated at numerous events in Qatar in the past, including the ANOC World Beach Games, that athletes are free to compete in international uniforms as they would in other countries.
We are greatly looking forward to welcoming some of the world’s best athletes to Doha for this prestigious competition and showcasing how during these difficult times Qatar remains able to host safe, inclusive and state-of-the-art sports events.</blockquote>
Borger pointed out to Spiegel magazine that the weather in Doha made it necessary to wear bikinis. Sude noted that when Qatar hosted World Athletics Championships in Doha in 2019, exceptions were made for female track and field athletes.

comdirect Beach Tour Hamburg 2020 – Day 3

No Bikinis: Beach Volleyball Stars Boycott Qatar Event Because Of No-Bikini Policy

Sports

It takes time for attitudes to change, and changing attitudes in the Middle East is a tough proposition. Moving the Europeans may prove harder.
An Israeli general once told this story (I was there):
<blockquote>The Israeli general commanded a unit that crossed the Suez Canal in 1973 after repulsing Egypt’s surprise Yom Kippur War attack. In his headquarters, he received a message that purported to be from an Egyptian general, telling him to come — alone — in a jeep to a certain spot in the desert and “hear something.” The general told the group, “I was sure I was going to die, but I did it.” The Egyptian proved to be the chief of the Egyptian general staff and he, too, was alone.
The Egyptian said, “The war is over.”
The Israeli general said, “Yes. I know.”
The Egyptian general sighed, “Not this war. In 1948, Egypt was within 11 miles of Tel Aviv and you pushed us back. In 1956, you drove through Sinai — but it wasn’t fair because you had the French and the British. In 1967, you did it again — by yourselves. Now you have crossed the Suez Canal and are 99 kilometers from Cairo. I’m here to tell you that you won’t get any closer. The war is over.”
He got back in his jeep and left.
The Israeli returned to his headquarters and told the story to the general staff in Tel Aviv. “No one believed me,&#8221; the Israeli said.</blockquote>
But it was true. The Egyptian government had determined that fighting, losing, and regrouping was not a plan. In 1979, Anwar Sadat went to Jerusalem, and in so doing met Israel’s primary condition for peace — recognition of Israel as a legitimate and permanent state in the region, entitled to “secure and recognized boundaries, free from threats or acts of force” (the language of U.N. Security Council Resolution 242). Today, Egypt and Israel cooperate on energy, security (including for the Gaza Strip), and trade.
In the broader Arab world, it is taking longer. Unable to countenance Jewish sovereignty in the region, the Arabs went to war in 1948 to erase it. They failed. They tried again in 1967. They failed again. After that war, an Arab League Summit convened in Sudan and issued what became known as the Khartoum Resolution: &#8220;No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.&#8221;
Then there were the conflicts of 1973 and 1982, intifadas, and rocket wars with Gaza.
President Trump called them on it in announcing his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bryen-donald-trumps-vision-for-the-middle-east">“Vision” for the Middle East</a>. “It is time for the Muslim world to fix the mistake it made in 1948, when it chose to attack instead of to recognize the new state of Israel. The Palestinians are the primary pawn in this adventurism, and it is time for this sad chapter in history to end.” Three Arab ambassadors were in the room.
The <a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/arab-league-holds-emergency-meeting-trump-plan-200201105251740.html">Arab League hastily convened a summit</a>, responding to the flat rejection of the plan by Palestinian Authority strongman Mahmoud Abbas, who had declined to read or even discuss it. This was not a “three noes” meeting. While the bloc as a whole rejected the Vision, the head of the Arab League said that there was time only for an initial study of the plan, adding that the Palestinian response would be key in shaping a &#8220;collective Arab position.” It should be noted that a day after announcing it would scrap security cooperation with the U.S. and Israel, the Palestinian Authority announced that, in fact, it <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Palestinians-wont-halt-security-ties-with-Israel-US-Ramallah-officials-616503">would not do so.</a>
<a href="https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/02/oic-hold-emergency-meeting-trump-middle-east-plan-200203064919675.html">Al Jazeera</a> wrote, “The announcement of Trump&#8217;s plan drew mixed responses from Arab states.” While joining in the vote, Egypt and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-at-jewish-journal-saudi-arabia-is-now-more-pro-israel-than-the-democratic-party">Saudi Arabia said separately that they “appreciated”</a> Mr. Trump’s efforts and called for renewed negotiations. Sudan’s leader announced a “principled stance on the Palestinian issue and the right of its people to establish its independent state &#8230; in accordance with the Arab consensus and Arab League decisions,” even as in a bit of irony — having hosted the Khartoum Declaration meeting — it established a mechanism for <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Israel-Sudan-set-up-normalization-teams-616526">opening diplomatic relations with Israel.</a>
OK, yes, the <a href="https://www.memri.org/reports/qatar-qatar-backed-international-union-muslim-scholars-blast-trumps-peace-plan-it-belongs">International Union of Muslim Scholars</a> (IUMS) consigned the Vision to the “dust heap of history,” but the IUMS is a creation of Qatar and Qatar is a puppet of Iran.
And speaking of Iran, European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josip Borrell met with Iranian leaders and shortly afterward tried to <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/eu-reportedly-blocked-from-resolution-condemning-trump-plan-annexation/">ram a condemnation</a> of the Vision though the EU. But EU statements have to be unanimous and, of its 27 countries, six refused — including Italy, Austria, Hungary, and the Czech Republic. Borrell then issued the statement in his own name.
The interim commissioner-general of UNRWA said, “The plan … is extremely unsettling for the Palestine refugees living under occupation, under blockade and through conflict after conflict and crisis after crisis, hoping for justice and human rights. The international community must send a clear message to Palestine refugees and to the world at large that the international community stands firmly behind them.”
Rightly, Israel chose to <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/02/04/israel-harshly-criticizes-eu-over-rejection-of-trump-middle-east-peace-plan/">respond more harshly</a> to the EU and <a href="https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/02/03/israel-slams-unrwa-head-for-attacking-trump-peace-plan/">UNRWA</a> than it did the Arab League.
It has been hard for Arab states to move on from decades of adamant rejection of Israel to talk and trade, and generally accept the nation-state of the Jewish people. That is the reality, not an excuse. But for the EU and UNRWA, to encourage Palestinians in outmoded, fanatical, and dangerous thinking is inexplicable.
Except it isn’t.
&nbsp;
Shoshana Bryen is Senior Director of <a href="https://www.jewishpolicycenter.org/">The Jewish Policy Center</a> in Washington, and Editor of inFOCUS Quarterly.

President Trump Meets With Israeli PM Netanyahu At The White House

BRYEN: The Arabs And Europeans React To Trump’s Middle East ‘Vision’

Egypt

Europe

European Union

Foreign Policy

Iran

Israel

Jerusalem

Middle East

Palestinians

Perhaps the sole silver lining of the otherwise-harrowing capitulation to fundamentalist jihadist evil that was President Barack Obama&#8217;s Iran nuclear deal was the fact that the leading Sunni Arab states — Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Egypt chief among them — began to warm up to the Jewish state of Israel. The enemy of my enemy, as the venerable maxim goes, is indeed my friend. And these Sunni stalwarts have found common cause with Israel in opposing the Islamic Republic of Iran&#8217;s decades-long hegemonic ambitions, which were only augmented by the capitulatory cash influxes provided by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
To date, however, the thawing of relations has generally taken a clandestine form — mostly on the intelligence and counterintelligence level. But the unveiling yesterday of President Donald Trump&#8217;s &#8220;Deal of the Century&#8221; peace proposal for Israel and the Palestinian-Arabs represents the clearest public sign yet of just how far this thawing has progressed.
It is nothing short of remarkable just how far we have come, when considering the &#8220;Three No&#8217;s&#8221; of the infamous 1967 Khartoum Resolution, decreed in the aftermath of Israel&#8217;s miraculous Six-Day War victory: &#8220;No peace [with Israel],&#8221; &#8220;no recognition [of Israel],&#8221; and &#8220;no negotiations [with Israel].&#8221;
For starters, as The Daily Wire&#8217;s Hank Berrien <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trumps-deal-of-the-century-for-israel-palestinians-a-realistic-plan-with-arab-states-backing-it">reported</a> yesterday, &#8220;Ambassador Yousef Al Otaiba of the UAE, Ambassador Abdullah bin Rashid Al Khalifa of Bahrain, and the Ambassador Hunaina al-Mughairy of Oman <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/Bahrain-UAE-envoys-come-to-White-House-for-Trump-Deal-of-the-Century-615706">were in the East Room</a> of the White House on Tuesday as Trump announced his plan.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Three great friends of peace &#8211; you, your countries &amp; your leaders are courageous. From the bottom of my heart, thank you for being at the event at the <a href="https://twitter.com/WhiteHouse?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WhiteHouse</a> today &amp; thank you for your encouragement &amp; support! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/UAE?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#UAE</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Bahrain?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Bahrain</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Oman?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Oman</a> <a href="https://t.co/N3LvtQufvz">pic.twitter.com/N3LvtQufvz</a>
&mdash; Jason D. Greenblatt (@GreenblattJD) <a href="https://twitter.com/GreenblattJD/status/1222227819033518083?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
It is unprecedented to have such leading representatives from Sunni Arab governments effectively recognizing Israel&#8217;s right, under U.N. Security Council <a href="https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/the-meaning-of-un-security-council-resolution-242">Resolution 242</a>, &#8220;to live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force.&#8221; It is even more unprecedented for such Arab governments to effectively recognize this international law right in the context of what is quite clearly, on the underlying merits, the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/The-Trump-Plan-How-Israel-Should-Respond-615681">most pro-Israel peace plan ever offered</a> by an American president — and one that is offered by a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-jerusalem-matters-ben-shapiro">historically pro-Israel American president</a> and a conservative Likud party Israeli prime minister, no less.
Numerous Arab governments, furthermore, have offered public endorsements of Trump&#8217;s plan that invariably refer to it as a welcoming or promising development.
From the <a href="https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&amp;newsid=2027848#2027848">Kingdom of Saudi Arabia</a>, home to the Islamic holy city of Mecca and the centuries-long epicenter of the Sunni Muslim world: &#8220;The kingdom appreciates the efforts of President Trump&#8217;s administration to develop a comprehensive peace plan between the Palestinian and the Israeli sides, and encourages the start of direct peace negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, under the auspices of the United States, and to resolve any disagreements with aspects of the plan through negotiations.&#8221;
From (<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">deeply problematic &#8220;ally&#8221;</a>) <a href="https://news.qna.org.qa/lang/en/w/article/1580250375011598800">Qatar</a>: &#8220;The State of Qatar welcomes all efforts aiming towards a longstanding and just peace in the occupied Palestinian territories. It also appreciates the endeavors of President Trump and the current U.S. administration to find solutions for the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, all solutions should be consistent with international law and the relevant U.N. resolutions.&#8221;
From <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1452664425061142/posts/2592875164373390/?d=n">Egypt</a>: &#8220;The Arab Republic of Egypt appreciates the continuous efforts exerted by the U.S. administration to achieve a comprehensive and just settlement of the Palestinian issue, thereby contributing to the stability and security of the Middle East, ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.&#8221;
From the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/1021964141227620/posts/2670012913089393/">Kingdom of Morocco</a>: &#8220;The Kingdom of Morocco expresses the wish that a constructive peace process be launched from now on, with a view to a realistic, applicable, equitable and lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian question, satisfying the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, for an independent, viable and sovereign State, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and enabling the peoples of the region to live in dignity, prosperity and stability.&#8221;
Contrast that with the leading 2020 Democratic Party presidential candidates, who have <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/democratic-candidates-censure-trump-peace-plan-warn-against-annexation/">all assailed</a> the plan. Or contrast it with Hamas/Hezbollah-loving Jeremy Corbyn of Britain, who calls it a &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/jeremycorbyn/status/1222303875593637891">travesty</a>.&#8221;
The Arab world is desperately trying to move on and finally resolve the Palestinian issue once and for all. But the American and European Left will not let them do so.
Kudos, nonetheless, to the Trump administration and the main actors/former actors there responsible for crafting the plan — including but hardly limited to Jason Greenblatt, Jared Kushner, and Avi Berkowitz — for their work in this very <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/eugene-kontorovich-trump-israeli-palestinian-peace-plan-is-fair-and-just-but-palestinians-wont-compromise">fair and thoughtfully devised</a> peace plan.

Donald Trump at White House with Benjamin Netanyahu

HISTORIC: Arab States Welcome Trump’s Israeli-Palestinian Peace Plan

Anti-Semitism

Barack Obama

Benjamin Netanyahu

Donald Trump

Islam

Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

The Daily Wire conducted an email interview with New York City Jewish leader <a href="https://twitter.com/HikindDov">Dov Hikind</a>, a former Democratic New York state assemblyman, founder of <a href="https://twitter.com/AmericansAA">Americans Against Antisemitism</a>, and prominent public-facing activist representing large swaths of New York&#8217;s Orthodox Jewish community. Just last month, President Trump called Hikind a &#8220;highly respected Jewish leader&#8221;:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank you to highly respected Jewish leader Dov Hikind for his wonderful statements about me this morning on <a href="https://twitter.com/foxandfriends?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@foxandfriends</a>.
&mdash; Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1211655287247126535?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 30, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
What follows is a question-and-answer exchange about anti-Semitism — and how to fight it.
The Daily Wire (TDW): Anti-Semitism is, of course, the world&#8217;s oldest bigotry. But why has it been so on the rise over the past decade or so in Europe and now, it seems, in the U.S.?
Dov Hikind (DH): The answer is complex, as there are many factors involved. Though Europe and the U.S. are experiencing increased anti-Semitism, the sources aren’t exactly the same. In Europe, most physical attacks and verbal assaults are committed by Muslims — though there is also a resurgent far-Right. In America, nationally, it is primarily a white supremacy problem; but in the major cities, which happen to be areas with high concentration of Jews, it’s the far-Left and minority groups that are responsible for perpetuating anti-Semitism and justifying the violence committed in its name. But what they do have in common is that the rise happens because hatred is tolerated and anti-Semitism is back in vogue. Additionally, the cesspool of hatred that can be found on social media has no borders or political affiliations and serves to feed the growing hateful appetites on both sides of the Atlantic.
TDW: How much do you blame Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio for the rise in anti-Semitism in New York and New York City, specifically?
DH: I’m not in the habit of blaming any single individual for a massive problem that predates their own existence. The governor and mayor did not create anti-Semitism and certainly don’t directly contribute to its rise. They are, however, responsible for reacting appropriately and swiftly to restore the sense of security that has been robbed of the Jewish community. And here, the onus is more on the mayor than the governor since it’s New York City that is far beyond out of control in comparison with any other city in America. That’s not a great distinction for New York to hold. So I don’t blame them for the rise, but they are to be held accountable for the lack of results on the ground.
TDW: To what extent have Mayor de Blasio&#8217;s constant attacks on police undermined the safety of Jews in New York City?
DH: That goes to the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-hammer-on-tipping-point-with-liz-wheeler-new-yorks-insane-pro-criminal-bail-law">broader issue of policing and criminal justice</a> that we’re seeing unfold now. There’s no doubt that when respect for law enforcement is undermined, so is respect for the law itself. Add to that the lack of consequences for violent anti-Semitic criminals, and there’s no doubt as to why there’s a lack of deterrence and the attacks continue unabated. The police of New York City are the best; they just need to be enabled to do their jobs with the dignity and respect they deserve. Strong policing ensures safe communities; they go hand in hand. It remains to be seen if these trends will be reversed or if they continue to deteriorate.
TDW: Why do so many Jews seem to not take self-defense seriously? Why is a fear of guns and gun ownership so seemingly popular among large swaths of the Jewish community?
DH: Two reasons: First, there is a notion that G-d protects every person, not guns — so if a person’s time comes, no gun will help. Second, there is a legitimate fear that in households filled with children, bringing in a lot of guns to a community that is not especially adjusted to it will only lead to accidents and tragedies that will be painfully regretted. Also, there’s a notion that the fighter, the one to take up arms, is not for every segment of the Jewish population. Some study and pray, some fight. I do think it’s important for every person, Jewish or not, to know how to defend oneself in this crazy and unpredictable world, but that’s a decision for each individual to make.
TDW: Why do so many people politicize anti-Semitism and weaponize it as a cudgel? Why do so many on the Left, in particular, only focus on white nationalist/neo-Nazi anti-Semitism and turn a blind eye to anti-Semitism from Islamists, so-called &#8220;anti-Zionists,&#8221; and black nationalists alike?
DH: Anti-Semitism has always been used as a cudgel. Rather, more precisely, Jews have always been used as political cudgel (in previous times, known as “the Jewish question/problem”). What it signifies is a certain decay and rot within society. When a society cannot face its decisions and actions, and instead seeks a scapegoat, the most available and returned to in history, are the Jews. Easy. Convenient. And it comes with an entire repertoire of “reasons” for hating Jews. Now, at this point in time, in America, it is the Left that has a major blind spot when it comes to anti-Semites in their ranks, and that’s because anti-Semites got so good at couching hateful rhetoric in the guise of humanitarian concern that they’ve lost sight of what they’re really promoting. Think of the morning Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) woke up to find that David Duke had tweeted in her support! A white supremacist neo-Nazi tweeting support for an African-American anti-Zionist anti-Semite! That’s the level of distortion and blindness at play in the current landscape that leads to such strange political bedfellows.
TDW: Is so-called &#8220;anti-Zionism&#8221; the same as anti-Semitism, pure and simple?
DH: Yes. Pure and simple. Why? Because can you find a similar movement that is “anti-China” over its detention of over 1,000,000 Uighur Muslims? Is there any anti-Syria movement over Bashar al-Assad’s committing genocide against his own people? The list goes on. The answer is no. There is only one movement of people that are mobilized to challenge the &#8220;right to exist&#8221; and sovereignty of a single nation on Earth, and that so happens to be the lone Jewish state. Anti-Zionism is simply one variation of anti-Semitism. It’s on the menu. You can hate Jews because we’re not white (neo-Nazis), because we’re white and share in its privilege (far-Left), or because we’re baby-killing, Zionist-colonialists who have absolutely no history in the land of Israel (radical Islamism). They can take their pick from the &#8220;hate du jour.&#8221;
TDW: What can be done to make Zionism and the pro-Israel cause palatable and popular again among the American and international Left?
DH: You know, traditionally this question gets an answer like, “we have to show how valuable Israel is to the world, how the start-up nation is innovating for the betterment of the world by bringing water and irrigation technologies to rain-deprived regions in Africa and being among the first to send rescue teams and humanitarian aid when natural disasters strike any country on earth.” But I’m personally sick of those answers because it implies that we need to constantly compete in some kind of warped popularity contest. Our deserving of equal rights and treatment on the global stage should not be tied to how wonderful Israel is. No. Let’s take Israel for no better than any other state, no more amazing — it would still be no less deserving of fair treatment! So I don’t think we can magically make Zionism and Israel more palatable, but more importantly, I don’t think that’s where our energies should go.
TDW: Why is Israel so unpopular on the American university campus? What can be done to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-how-pro-israel-students-campus-can-fight-josh-hammer">counter growing anti-Israel and anti-Jewish sentiment</a> on the university campus?
DH: We know for a fact that a lot of money has been pouring into the American university system from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">terror-supporting states like Qatar</a>, which bankrolls <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-israel-must-destroy-hamas-once-and-all-josh-hammer">Hamas</a> as well as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-designating-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-josh-hammer">Muslim Brotherhood</a> and its American subsidiary, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/firester-cairs-fight-to-undermine-u-s-border-security-continues">CAIR</a>. These benefactors are behind groups such as Students for Justice in Palestine, which is single handedly responsible for creating a terribly toxic environment for Jewish students and faculty. Frankly, I don’t believe Jewish groups will ever invest the same resources in combating those efforts as the enemies of Israel do, but it goes back to high school education. When you peel that layer back and see what kind of Jewish education students have received prior to arriving on campus, it becomes clear that too many lack the basic and adequate knowledge to defend themselves against the malicious lies and libels that anti-Semitic student groups spread. If we can better educate our high school students, they’ll have a better chance at fighting back against anti-Semitism on university campuses.
TDW: What role does education play, exactly, in countering anti-Semitism? How can education about the Holocaust and Jewish history, in general, help counter the trend?
DH: Crucial. Central. It’s all about education. Hate is borne of ignorance. But the task is doubly as hard because it’s not only a matter of getting the right information to students, but working to counter all the lies and falsehoods that are perpetuated at astounding speed and frequency. The Holocaust is the central case study of anti-Semitism because it encapsulates from beginning to end what the dangers of unchecked anti-Semitism look like. What starts with hateful rhetoric can easily end in a genocide perpetrated by the most &#8220;cultured&#8221; and &#8220;civilized&#8221; of European societies, with a majority of its citizens partaking in the apparatus that annihilated six million Jews. No society is immune to the plague of anti-Semitism. However, those who choose ignorance and denial of the Holocaust rather than wrestling with its wrenching paradoxes are those most likely to repeat its darkest chapters.
TDW: What advice would you give to those who are trying to make a difference in their own lives, in terms of countering anti-Semitism?
DH: Action! Get involved with an organization, like Americans Against Antisemitism, that takes concrete steps to combat this hatred. Taking part gives the individual a sense of control, that we are not victims or pawns, that we will not be pushed around, but will stand up for our G-d-given rights. But individuals can do anything that works for them. For some, it’s being loud on social media; for others it&#8217;s hosting events and attending rallies. The point is for every individual to do his or her part, no matter how small or big, because our force is increased with unity. And to be clear, one need not be Jewish to take up the fight against anti-Semitism; the fight to eradicate this special and oldest of hatreds is quintessentially an American struggle for the right to live in freedom and pursue happiness.

Assemblyman Dov Hikind – Jewish organizations held a protest

Fighting Anti-Semitism: An Interview With Jewish Leader Dov Hikind

Andrew Cuomo

Bill de Blasio

CAIR

Hamas

Hate Crime

Holocaust

Judaism

Since <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/how-the-saudi-led-qatar-boycott-transformed-the-tiny-emirate-s-economy-1.7335205">2017</a>, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt have boycotted Qatar due to its overwhelming support for terrorism. While this multilateral call to action should have raised alarm, the American public remained largely silent, effectively condoning Qatar’s abuses — its overwhelming <a href="https://thefederalist.com/2019/08/15/qatar-state-sponsor-terrorism/">sponsorship</a> of terrorism, and its <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/international/world-cup-2022-qatars-workers-slaves-building-mausoleums-stadiums-modern-slavery-kafala-a7980816.html">slave-like</a> labor conditions that could kill <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fifa-world-cup-2022-a-worker-plummeted-to-his-death-2018-2">4,000</a> stadium workers before the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-qatar-paid-880-million-bribes-fifa-secure-josh-hammer">Qatar-hosted</a> 2022 World Cup’s opening whistle.
With the grace of relative impunity, Qatar has had the latitude to tailor its reputation, whitewash its vices, and advance its pro-terrorist agenda. Qatar has done so by infecting America’s minds and academia through propaganda and funding. It has done so three-fold, with the latter two methods being my primary focus here. First, Qatar has infiltrated American media, attracting 11+ million Facebook followers through <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/al-jazeera-promotes-terrorism-social-media-must-deplatform-aj-aj/">AJ+</a>, an ostensibly progressive channel that proxies for Al Jazeera, Qatar’s state-run network that is known to glorify terrorists as “<a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/al-jazeera-promotes-terrorism-social-media-must-deplatform-aj-aj/">martyrs</a>.” Second, Qatar has <a href="https://clarionproject.org/qatar-on-our-campuses/">donated</a> nearly $1.5 billion to U.S. primary schools and universities, <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Is-Qatari-funding-influencing-BDS-on-US-college-campuses-587100">promoting</a> its image and radicalizing curricula. Lastly, Qatar has funded think tanks, thereby censoring criticism.
To preserve both academic freedom and morality, academia and think tanks must sever all future ties to and funding from the Qatari government. This would undermine Qatar’s grooming efforts while also raising the awareness of students — who are, by definition, America’s future — to Qatar’s abuses. It would also challenge Qatar to either reform or risk suffering the reputational harm that it so manifestly deserves.
Qatar’s extensive influence efforts whitewash and masquerade the terrorism that it champions. Qatar has funded <a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/hamas">Hamas</a> — a terrorist organization <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-israel-must-destroy-hamas-once-and-all-josh-hammer">vowing</a> Israel’s destruction — with <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Qatars-break-with-Hamas-shakes-up-Mideast-politics-584379">$1.1 billion</a> since 2012 and formerly <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/fact-check-is-qatar-supporting-terrorism-1.5484124">provided</a> billions of dollars to Mohamed Morsi’s deposed <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-designating-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-josh-hammer">Muslim Brotherhood</a> regime in Egypt. Qatar&#8217;s emir enables Hamas to convene in <a href="https://freebeacon.com/national-security/hamas-chief-holds-press-conference-at-four-seasons-hotel/">Doha’s</a> <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/qatar-hosting-hamas-whitewashing-terror-606750">hotels</a>, and the emir openly celebrates the jihadist outfit. He <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2014/09/25/world/meast/qatar-emir/index.html">observed</a> that “Qatar supports ‘all Palestinian people. We believe Hamas is a very important part of the Palestinian people.” Qatar also harbors high-profile terrorists like <a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/countries/qatar">Khaled Meshaal</a>, who formerly headed Hamas’s political bureau, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-23007401">20 high-profile members</a> of the Afghani Taliban, and key financiers of terror like <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/syria/11140190/Banker-who-financed-911-mastermind-now-funding-terrorists-in-Syria-and-Iraq.html">Khalifa Al Subaiy</a>, “the mastermind behind 9/11.” Not to mention infamous top Muslim Brotherhood cleric <a href="https://www.meforum.org/57690/ensconced-doha-islamists">Yusuf al-Qaradawi</a>. Between financing, harboring, and sponsoring terror, Qatar fuels essentially every step of militant jihad.
Through its funding, Qatar has also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-many-cnns-national-security-experts-have-josh-hammer">sought to influence</a> the curricula of American primary schools and <a href="https://clarionproject.org/qatar-on-our-campuses/">universities</a>: Georgetown, Texas A&amp;M (TAMU), Cornell, Carnegie Mellon, Northwestern, and Virginia Commonwealth. Of the aforementioned, all enjoy campuses in Qatar at the annual estimated $<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/grade-point/wp/2016/03/08/texas-university-gets-76-million-each-year-to-operate-in-qatar-contract-says/">404.8 million</a> expense of the <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Is-Qatari-funding-influencing-BDS-on-US-college-campuses-587100">Qatar Foundation</a> (QF), “a state-supported <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Is-Qatari-funding-influencing-BDS-on-US-college-campuses-587100">NGO</a>” that is <a href="https://clarionproject.org/qatar-on-our-campuses/">controlled</a> by the Qatari government.
<a href="https://qatar-weill.cornell.edu/about-us/our-partners/qatar-foundation">Founded</a> by the former emir, the <a href="https://qatar-weill.cornell.edu/about-us/our-partners/qatar-foundation">QF</a> seeks the “development of [Qatar] that would provide Qatari citizens with a greater choice in education, health and social progress.” In other words, the QF furthers Qatari government interests with its anti-Israel, anti-Semitic, and pro-terrorism sentiment. Hence, the Middle East Forum&#8217;s Sam Westrop (a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/author/sam-westrop">Daily Wire contributor</a>) <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/26000/qatari-foundation-influences-anti-israel">observes</a> that the QF “bestows awards upon Hamas leaders” and “works with charities … accused of funding terrorism.” Further, Americans for Peace and Tolerance notes that the <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/26000/qatari-foundation-influences-anti-israel">QF</a> has sponsored curricula “propagandized with materials that slander &#8230; the Jewish people.” The QF has also sought to forge American allegiance to the Qatari government. Hence, its flagship curriculum <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/26000/qatari-foundation-influences-anti-israel">project</a>, one “heavily promoted in American schools,” teaches a lesson entitled, “Express Your Loyalty to Qatar.” The QF endorses terror, anti-Semitism, and allegiance to Qatar — phenomena antithetical to morality and academic freedom. Think tanks and academia must thus reject all future funding from this troubled emirate.
Despite the QF’s explicit ties to Qatar, the largest foreign funder of American universities since <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/59321/clarion-exclusive-report-foreign-influence-ops-on">2012</a>, universities continue to embrace its beneficence. Two of the largest “benefactors” have been Georgetown and TAMU. Whereas in 2018, Georgetown <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/trump-administration-reviewing-foreign-funding-at-u-s-colleges">accepted</a> $33 million of its $36 million in foreign donations from the QF, TAMU pocketed $6.1 million, totaling all of its foreign funding. In 2018, nearly all of these universities’ foreign funding came from Qatar; and since 2012 and 2014, respectively, the two have respectively received <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/trump-administration-reviewing-foreign-funding-at-u-s-colleges">$415 million</a> and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/education/trump-administration-reviewing-foreign-funding-at-u-s-colleges">$285 million</a> in foreign funding, suggesting the overwhelming influence of Qatari funding in American education. Other <a href="https://clarionproject.org/qatar-on-our-campuses/">universities</a> that have <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/59321/clarion-exclusive-report-foreign-influence-ops-on">received</a> Qatari funding include Arizona State, Harvard, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/16/qatar-georgetown-texas-university/">Illinois</a>, Johns Hopkins, <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/16/qatar-georgetown-texas-university/">Michigan</a>, North Carolina, NYU, Oregon State, Purdue, Penn State, the University of Chicago, the University of Southern California, Washington, and Washington University in St. Louis. <a href="https://www.meforum.org/campus-watch/59321/clarion-exclusive-report-foreign-influence-ops-on">Northwestern</a> also has a partnership with <a href="https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/al-jazeera-promotes-terrorism-social-media-must-deplatform-aj-aj/">Al Jazeera</a>, a Qatari television network that <a href="https://jewishjournal.com/news/los_angeles/299328/david-reaboi-discusses-qatar-and-terrorism/">regularly promotes terror</a>.
Qatar’s efforts to groom also extend to U.S. primary schools. Between <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/u-s-schools-receive-aid-from-qatar-1503682830">2009 and 2017</a>, the QF donated $30.6 million to subsidize “teacher training, materials, and salaries,” while also “targeting K-12 public schools with lofty grants,” some of which have been used to send students to Qatar and on other “cultural trips” to “the Qatari embassy in D.C.” Thereby, Qatari money, while normalizing Qatar&#8217;s image, also effectively regulates primary school classroom curricula.
The QF has also coerced think tanks into submission — particularly the Brookings Institution and its center in Doha, to which it has <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/op-eds/how-qatar-is-buying-conservative-column-inches">given</a> tens of millions of dollars. As counter-Islamist activist David Reaboi has <a href="https://securitystudies.org/why-should-we-care-about-qatars-influence/">noted</a>, “spending a lot of money is the easiest way to change … a public policy narrative.” A former visiting fellow for Brooking, Saleem Ali, has <a href="https://securitystudies.org/why-should-we-care-about-qatars-influence/">confirmed</a> the extent of Qatar’s influence at its Doha office, acknowledging a “no-go zone when it came to criticizing the Qatari government.” Having effectively censored the Brookings Institution, the Qatari government also directly and indirectly <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/02/06/qatars-ramped-up-lobbying-efforts-find-success-in-washington/">funds</a> the Middle East Institute and the Gulf International Forum.
These efforts ultimately reflect Qatar’s will to regulate American thought through the media, classroom, and the think tank. To redeem academic integrity, and to reject Qatar’s terrorism, the supposed vanguard of American thought and values — academia and think tanks — must boycott the Qatari government. Such boycotts would captivate student bodies, raise large-scale attention to Qatar’s abuses, and shame Qatar into either reform or accountability.
&nbsp;
Jordan Cope is currently a law student at the University of Texas at Austin, where he also completed his undergraduate degree. Having graduated with a B.A. in international relations, Jordan also minored in Middle Eastern studies and can speak Arabic and Hebrew. He has also published research on the security implications of Palestinian foreign aid. He can be followed <a href="https://twitter.com/JordanCope12">@JordanCope12</a>.
RELATED: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">Al Jazeera&#8217;s Disgraceful Holocaust-Denying Video Showcases Qatari Evil For All To See.</a>

Doha Qatar skyline

COPE: Academia And Think Tanks Must Boycott Qatar

Radical Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

Saudi Arabia

Terrorism

United Arab Emirates (UAE)

The enigmatic Gulf emirate of Qatar, which is obscenely wealthy due to its fortuitous location above the world&#8217;s largest natural gas field, has a longstanding problem with Sunni jihadism. The wealthy petrochemical sheikh minority of the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2019/08/03/qatar-travel-ban-billionaires-slaves-trapped-middle-east/">majority slave state</a> Qatari populace is, along with Recep Tayyip Erdogan&#8217;s Turkey, disproportionately responsible for funding and exporting more radical Sunni Islamism than any other cloistered clerisy the world over. The Qatari ruling class <a href="https://www.meforum.org/57690/ensconced-doha-islamists">proudly hosts</a> Islamist cleric Yusuf Al Qaradawi, the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-designating-muslim-brotherhood-terrorist-josh-hammer">Muslim Brotherhood</a>&#8216;s de facto global caliph, and has long been the preeminent state <a href="https://www.haaretz.com/middle-east-news/palestinians/.premium-hamas-officials-expect-30-million-transfer-from-qatar-within-several-days-1.7222696">bankroller</a> of Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Pro-terror network <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-al-jazeeras-disgraceful-holocaust-denying-josh-hammer">Al Jazeera</a> also serves as a state-run Qatari propaganda outfit, and it is the evil bile spewing from Al Jazeera&#8217;s airwaves that led more moderate Sunni Gulf states, such as Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, to boycott and embargo Qatar in 2017. Counter-jihadist activist David Reaboi <a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/feb/17/qatar-a-hospitable-base-for-the-muslim-130932598/">put it well</a> at The Washington Times in February:
<blockquote>Al Jazeera is the world’s most successful, sophisticated and influential state-directed information operation.
It is remarkably aggressive in service of Qatar’s foreign policy interests, which include four key elements: (1) undermining the stability of its neighbors, especially Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates; (2) promoting Islamists like the Muslim Brotherhood in vulnerable, Western open societies; (3) financially and diplomatically supporting violent terrorist groups like Hamas, al Qaeda and the Taliban; and (4) assisting the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism, Iran, in evading US sanctions as it seeks to develop nuclear weapons.</blockquote>
Now, according to an <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/world/qatar-iran-attack-vessels-intelligence-allies">exclusive Fox News report</a> from this past weekend, Qatar — which, despite alienating its fellow Sunni Gulf states, maintains a cozy relationship with the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hammer-iranian-revolution-forty-years-old-stand-josh-hammer">terror-supporting</a> Iranian mullahs — has once again revealed its true colors for the world to see. As reported by Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News obtained a report alleging that &#8220;Qatar had advance knowledge on an Iranian attack on four commercial vessels in the Gulf of Oman in May and may have failed to warn its U.S., French, and British allies.&#8221; In other words, Qatar duplicitously sided with the world&#8217;s number one state sponsor of terrorism over its purported Western &#8220;allies.&#8221;
The only thing that is surprising about such Qatari duplicity is that anyone in the West is still surprised by it. Qatar has long been the proverbial <a href="https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/04/qatar-is-the-weakest-link-in-an-arab-nato/">&#8220;weakest link&#8221;</a> of the Sunni world, utilizing aggressive governmental lobbying, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/04/fashion/qatar-luxury-fashion-national-museum-blockade.html">outlandish flaunting</a> of its petro-infused wealth to sic more A-list politicos onto its dole, and intensive funding of American <a href="https://www.brookings.edu/center/brookings-doha-center/">think tank</a> and higher education institutions to inculcate an insidious pro-Qatar message. As reported by the <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/16/qatar-georgetown-texas-university/">Daily Caller</a>, Qatar was the number one foreign state funder of U.S. institutions of higher education from 2011 t0 2016 — surpassing some states even hundreds of times its size, such as China.
Weinthal&#8217;s report ought to serve as a much-needed wakeup call for the more sclerotic elements of our bipartisan foreign policy ruling class. That ruling class is oftentimes overly deterred from meaningfully cracking down on Qatar by the U.S. military presence at Qatar&#8217;s Al Udeid Air Base. But it is ultimately myopic to permit our military&#8217;s presence at Al Udeid to pose an impregnable barrier to attempt to rein in this tiny but destructive nation. It is long past time for policymakers and the chattering class alike to arrive at the conclusion that Qatar is not our friend — at all.

Doha, Qatar

HAMMER: Terror-Funding Qatar Once Again Proves It Is Not America’s Friend

Al Jazeera

Recep Tayyip Erdogan

We are only now beginning to understand the true extent of Qatar’s long campaign to subvert the American political establishment, to advance its own interests, and to advance the interests of <a href="https://ahvalnews.com/qatar-turkey/qatar-iran-turkey-alliance-erodes-regional-security-arab-weekly">close allies</a> Iran and Turkey. It seems like every passing month reveals <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1381:130:12387682161381::NO::P130_CNTRY:QA">more public figures</a> working to advance the Qatari agenda. The latest to be make headlines is former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith, a senior foreign policy advisor to the Kamala Harris presidential campaign.
Following the killing of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, Smith raised eyebrows when she <a href="https://twitter.com/ambdana/status/1188446888967786499">objected</a> on Twitter to President Trump’s pitiless description of Baghdadi’s death. She <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbDana/status/1188446071019724803">wrote</a>: “This gruesome, vivid and probably exaggerated description of dogs chasing down Baghdadi will endanger our personnel in the region. … When bin Laden was killed, we were careful to be clear that he had been given a proper Muslim burial.”
To be sure, she <a href="https://twitter.com/AmbDana/status/1188454050372698114">added</a> that, “The killing of Baghdadi was unquestionably good and necessary.” But her larger objection was met with <a href="https://twitchy.com/gregp-3534/2019/10/28/obamas-qatar-ambassador-has-some-thoughts-on-the-way-president-trump-talked-about-the-death-of-al-baghdadi/">scorn</a> by many who found it hard to believe that Smith wanted due honors given to a violent <a href="https://www.jpost.com/Middle-East/Baghdadi-rapist-led-genocidal-caliphate-died-in-tunnel-606053">murderer and rapist</a> like Baghdadi.
Why, then, does Smith care so much about Baghdadi’s dignity?
Possibly it is not she who cares, but her friends in Qatar. Despite their claims of moderation, many Qataris actually support ISIS. A 2014 <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/28/support-isis-stronger-arabic-social-media-europe-us-than-syria">study</a> found that 47% of Qatari Arabic language social media messages discussing ISIS were supportive — the highest percentage in the world. And this is just one instance of Qatar’s <a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/countries/qatar">long history</a> of supporting extremists, including al-Qaeda and Hamas.
Normally one wouldn’t assume that an ex-diplomat would parrot the opinions of her former host country. But Smith’s case is special. She has a <a href="https://af.reuters.com/article/africaTech/idAFL1N21J0DJ">long history</a> of <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/otaiba-ambassador-uae-leaked-emails_n_5932bf04e4b02478cb9bec1c">advocating for the interests</a> of Qatar. Earlier this year, investigative journalist Daniel Greenfield published a detailed <a href="https://www.frontpagemag.com/fpm/2019/07/qatar-supporter-advising-kamala-harris-daniel-greenfield/">exposé</a> of Smith’s long history of advancing Qatari foreign policy — even while serving as U.S. ambassador.
Canadian businessman Alan Bender went further. Bender, who had spoken with high-level Qatari officials, said that Smith was being paid by Qatar through her <a href="https://www.fp4america.org/dana-shell-smith">consulting firm</a> <a href="https://sccefile.scc.virginia.gov/Business/S655876">Decibel Strategy LLC</a> — which Bender described as “her fake company in the U.S.” (The company has no public presence and does not describe its clients or services.)
Smith is not the only former diplomat to be working for Qatar’s interests. Even if we stick to public data, several former ambassadors have gone so far as to openly take Qatari money.
The list is impressive. Former U.S. Ambassador to Qatar (1995–1998) <a href="https://qataramerica.org/team/ambassador-patrick-theros/">Patrick Theros</a> was the long-serving president of the U.S.-Qatar Business Council, and also was one of the first board members of Qatar Foundation International. Amb. <a href="http://untermeyer.com/resume/">Chase Untermeyer</a> (2004–2007) did business consulting for U.S. firms operating in Qatar before becoming the founding chairman of the Qatar-America Institute in 2017. And Amb. <a href="https://www.squirepattonboggs.com/en/professionals/l/lebaron-joseph">Joseph LeBaron</a> (2008–2011) is now <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lebaron1">vice chair</a> of Daruna, a firm providing housing for migrant workers in Qatar and the chairman of which is Qatari royal family member Shaikh Nasser Al-Thani; LeBaron also became a senior advisor to Squire Patton Boggs, which has <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/2165-Exhibit-AB-19940201-DBKPB503.pdf">lobbied</a> for Qatar since 1994.
Other public figures known to have previously taken Qatari money include <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2015/02/23/rudy_giuliani_loves_america_except_when_hes_consulting_for_qatar/">Rudy Giuliani</a> and <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/ords/f?p=1381:130:12387682161381::NO::P130_CNTRY:QA">dozens</a> of lobbying firms in Washington. And Qatar-financed lobbyists Nick Muzin and Joey Allaham were the point-men in a controversial <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-lobbying-qatar-targeted-250-trump-influencers-to-change-u-s-policy-1535554647">Qatari campaign</a> to target some 250 “influencers” in and around the Trump administration, at least some of whom were handsomely paid themselves as a result. Qatar paid the pair $3 million for that effort, and <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2019/01/qatari-lobbyists-received-millions-through-shadow-firm/">another</a> $3.9 million for “foster[ing] dialogue” with American business leaders.
It’s not illegal to take foreign money, as long as it is properly disclosed. But if Smith or Decibel Strategies is indeed being paid by Qatar, she has not disclosed it in a Foreign Agent Registration Act (<a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/USCODE-2009-title22/pdf/USCODE-2009-title22-chap11-subchapII.pdf">FARA</a>) filing — though she is mentioned in other entity filings, having <a href="https://efile.fara.gov/docs/2165-Supplemental-Statement-20160714-24.pdf">met</a> with Squire Patton Boggs several times while ambassador.
Whether or not Smith is actually on the Qatari payroll, she appears to be participating in a massive and well-funded effort by Qatar to subvert our foreign policy. This broad-spectrum effort includes <a href="https://dailycaller.com/2018/12/16/qatar-georgetown-texas-university/">hundreds of millions</a> of dollars paid to our universities, for which Qatar has gotten <a href="https://twitter.com/Bush41Library/status/922929216953503744">valuable</a> <a href="https://www.qatar.georgetown.edu/news-events/news/report-highlights-georgetown%E2%80%99s-thought-leadership">quid pro quos</a>; the extensive propaganda operations of regime-owned Al Jazeera, which have sparked calls from lawmakers to make it <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/politics/401145-al-jazeera-propagates-hatred-is-it-also-a-foreign-agent">disclose</a> its <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/al-jazeera-pushes-back-on-gop-effort-to-force-it-to-register-as-a-foreign-agent">activities</a> under FARA; and the well-publicized <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/us/politics/foreign-powers-buy-influence-at-think-tanks.html">corrupting</a> of major think tanks such as the Brookings Institute. And that’s merely the legal elements of Qatar’s plan.
Qatar has every right to advocate for its interests, and even to hire American figures to make its case. But there is a difference between advocacy and corruption. American foreign policy needs to be built around America’s interests, not those of foreign countries with large bankrolls.
&nbsp;
Dr. Oren Litwin is a Fellow for <a href="https://www.meforum.org/islamist-watch/">Islamist Watch</a>, a project of the <a href="https://www.meforum.org">Middle East Forum</a>.

LITWIN: Former Diplomat And Top Kamala Harris Campaign Advisor Acts As Mouthpiece For Terror-Supporting Qatar

Al Qaeda

Islamic State (ISIS)

Kamala Harris

Menu