Qatar&#8217;s support of the terrorist group Hamas, as well as its past criticism of Donald Trump, has come under renewed scrutiny as the authoritarian state acts as the mediator between Israel and Hamas.
Qatar is being relied on to negotiate a cease-fire deal, in which innocent hostages, whether dead or alive, have or will be exchanged for as much as 50 times more Palestinians, many of whom murdered Israeli parents and their children. That same Qatari government has supported Hamas and vilified Israel ever since the October 7 massacre.
As the October 7 massacre of over 1200 Israelis began, Hamas leaders celebrated from their comfortable quarters in the Qatari capital of Doha. On that same day, the Qatari government issued a statement that blamed Israel for the massacre, writing, “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs holds Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation &#8230;”
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/paulrubens?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@paulrubens</a> nailed it: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar</a> told Hamas to keep the hostages, proving it’s no friend of the U.S., Israel, or any hope for peace.
We in America can’t overlook how Qatar enables terror—it’s time to call it out.
And it&#39;s time to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BringThemHomeNow?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BringThemHomeNow</a> <a href="https://t.co/sI6lyvhoNW">pic.twitter.com/sI6lyvhoNW</a>
&mdash; Jacob Baime (@JacobBaime) <a href="https://twitter.com/JacobBaime/status/1883889800715055385?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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As the terms of the ceasefire deal have come to light, criticism has mounted for using Qatar as a negotiator. &#8220;Again, Qatar celebrates Hamas and the October 7 mass slaughter and kidnappings,&#8221; bestselling author Mark Levin <a href="https://x.com/marklevinshow/status/1883685668720968183">commented</a> Sunday, citing Qatar-owned media&#8217;s glorification of the terror attack. &#8220;How can these terrorist lowlifes mediate anything?&#8221;
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Again, Qatar celebrates Hamas and the October 7 mass slaughter and kidnappings.  How can these terrorist lowlifes mediate anything?<a href="https://t.co/5g30NDda8B">https://t.co/5g30NDda8B</a>
&mdash; Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) <a href="https://twitter.com/marklevinshow/status/1883685668720968183?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Qatar&#8217;s record of promoting anti-Trump propaganda has also come under the spotlight. “The state-controlled media in Qatar, a regime that has long been the patron of radical groups, smeared President Donald Trump as a &#8216;Nazi&#8217; and as a &#8216;vulgar&#8217; and &#8216;insufferable&#8217; person during his first term as president,” <a href="https://www.breitbart.com/politics/2025/01/26/the-state-controlled-media-in-qatar-a-regime-that-has-long-been-the-patron-of-radical-groups-smeared-president-donald-trump-as-a-nazi-and-as-a-vulgar-and-insufferable-person-during-his-f/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Breitbart</a> noted.
Among the hundreds of Palestinians to be released under the deal are “three architects of the Jerusalem bus bombing on June 11, 2003, the perpetrator in a 2018 terror stabbing in the West Bank, and one of the organizers of a December 2002 attack inside the kitchen of a yeshiva, killing two students and two IDF soldiers,” the AJC <a href="https://www.ajc.org/news/who-are-the-palestinian-prisoners-freed-in-the-hostage-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
Qatar&#8217;s leaders have been demanding a ceasefire within hours of the attack by Hamas. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, in a recent interview with Israeli journalist Arad Nir, reportedly said, “We&#8217;ve been calling since, since the beginning, since October 8, that we need to get this done as soon as possible.&#8221;
“Excuse me? Get what done?” responded Daniel Rubenstein, who has served as an advisor to Israeli prime ministers Benjamin Netanyahu and Naftali Bennett. “You think that the proper response to the October 7 Massacre, while Hamas terrorists were still on the loose in Israel, was to get a deal done that would ensure that Hamas leaders would survive what they had just unleashed, that hundreds or thousands of convicted Palestinian terrorists would be released from Israeli prisons, and that Hamas&#8217;s army would remain completely intact and would be in a position to carry out another massacre at a time and place of its choosing?”
“Friends, please understand: Qatar told Hamas to keep the hostages until Hamas gets a deal that allows Hamas to remain in power in Gaza,&#8221; Rubenstein warned. &#8220;I am stunned that I have to be the one to explain this to everyone. Wake up.”
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Are people under the impression that on October 7, 2023, Qatari government officials in Doha walked down the street to the office where Hamas leaders were watching Al Jazeera and thanking God for the success of Hamas&#39;s invasion and said to them: &quot;Guys, what you did was really…
&mdash; Daniel Rubenstein (@paulrubens) <a href="https://twitter.com/paulrubens/status/1883884829361557997?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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A 2022 <a href="https://networkcontagion.us/wp-content/uploads/NCRI-Report_The-Corruption-of-the-American-Mind.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">study</a> conducted by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP) stated, “Receipt of foreign funding was associated with increased levels of campus antisemitism, and this relationship was larger when the foreign funding came from Middle Eastern/authoritarian states,” adding that a 2019 ISGAP research project “revealed, for the first time, the existence of substantial Middle Eastern funding (primarily from Qatar) to U.S. universities that had not been reported to the Department of Education as required by law.”

QATAR-ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT

‘How Can These Terrorist Lowlifes Mediate Anything?’ Harsh Criticism For Qatar As Negotiator For Peace

Hamas

Israel

Qatar

Steve Witkoff

The federal criminal investigation into New York City Democrat Mayor Eric Adams&#8217; ties to the Turkish government — specifically whether he conspired with them to funnel illegal foreign donations to his campaign — has reportedly widened to include five more countries.
The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/23/nyregion/fbi-adams-qatar-israel-china-uzbekistan-korea.html?smid=tw-nytimes&amp;smtyp=cur">reported</a> that prosecutors subpoenaed City Hall, Adams, and his campaign two months ago for information related to China, Qatar, Uzbekistan, South Korea, and Israel.
It was not clear how expansive the scope of the investigation was, the report said, adding that it was not yet known what information they were looking for.
Adams is under criminal investigation over potential corruption stemming from actions involving the Turkish government. Prosecutors are looking to see if he received illegal campaign donations in exchange for pushing through building inspections on a Turkish consulate in NYC and whether he also received free flight upgrades.
Adams has seen numerous people in his orbit come under criminal investigation over the last year.
The FBI executed search warrants earlier this month at the home of Deputy Mayor for Public Safety Philip Banks and a home shared by First Deputy Mayor Sheena Wright and Schools Chancellor David Banks. Investigators seized phones belonging to then-NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban and Timothy Pearson, a senior adviser to the mayor. A consultant, Terence Banks, brother of Philip Banks and David Banks, was also searched.
The feds raided the home of Adams’ director of Asian Affairs, Winnie Greco, earlier this year as part of a criminal probe run by the Eastern District of New York, the Times said. His former buildings commissioner, Eric Ulrich, faces bribery charges, and several donors to Adams’ campaign have been charged in a straw-donor scheme.
Caban resigned from his post last week and his successor, interim Commissioner Thomas Donlon, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fbi-raids-home-of-nypd-interim-commissioner-a-week-after-similar-raid-caused-predecessor-to-resign">raided</a> by the FBI late last week.

Mayor Eric Adams speaks during press briefing at City Hall.

Criminal Probe Into Eric Adams Over Foreign Ties To Turkey Widens To 5 More Countries

China

Eric Adams

Turkey

Three of the four Israeli hostages who were rescued of Saturday were found in the home of a Gaza-based journalist who had previously written for Al Jazeera.
The hostages, who were captured by Hamas terrorists during the brutal and unprovoked attacks of October 7, were <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/09/world-news/gaza-journalist-held-3-hostages-in-his-home-with-his-family-israeli-military-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">discovered</a> inside the home of Abdallah Aljamal. Aljamal had written for Al Jazeera as recently as 2019 — although the outlet has said that he was never an employee — and had since been writing for The Palestine Chronicle and serving as spokesman for Gaza&#8217;s Hamas-controlled labor ministry.
An initial report from Ramy Abdu — founder and chairman of the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor — claimed that Israeli soldiers had raided Aljamal&#8217;s home and killed him along with several members of his family.
Israel has confirmed that Aljamal was killed in the Saturday special forces raid that rescued hostages Almog Meir Jan, 21, Andri Kozlov, 27, and Shlomi Ziv, 41 — but made no mention of his family.
&#8220;This is further proof that the Hamas terrorist organization uses the civilian population as a human shield,&#8221; the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement after special forces rescued the hostages from Aljamal&#8217;s home in Nuseirat — which was located near a refugee camp.
The fourth hostage who was rescued during Saturday&#8217;s operations was 26-year-old Noa Argamani, who recounted several instances during her eight months in captivity when she believed she was going to die.
When she first arrived in Gaza, after being snatched off the street at the Nova music festival, she said that she expected to be lynched. Sometime later, she recounted seeing a missile land in the house where she was being held.
&#8220;I saw the missile enter the house; I was sure I was going to die,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I thought that was it, but I stayed alive.&#8221;
Finally, the raid that ultimately resulted in her rescue was so chaotic that, for a time, she believed she might not survive it.

ISRAEL-PALESTINIAN-CONFLICT-HOSTAGES

Israel Says Hostages Were Held In Home Of Journalist Who Wrote For Al Jazeera

Al Jazeera

Hostages

Journalism

The Biden administration has told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/qatar" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Qatar</a> to expel the Hamas&#8217; leaders from its country if the terrorist organization continues to reject a generous deal offered by Israel.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/05/03/us-qatar-hamas-hostages-ceasefire/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that Secretary of State Antony Blinken delivered the message to Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani last month.
Qatar has advised Hamas&#8217; leaders, including its top leader, Ismail Haniyeh, that they should start thinking about living somewhere else because of mounting U.S. pressure as the group has continually stalled and rejected negotiations.
“We are determined to get a cease-fire that brings the hostages home and to get it now, and the only reason that wouldn’t be achieved is because of Hamas,” Blinken said in Israel this week. “There is a proposal on the table, and as we’ve said: no delays, no excuses. The time is now.”
Israel has signaled that its military operation against the terrorist group inside Gaza will not stop until the group is thoroughly destroyed.
While President Joe Biden has tried to appease the anti-Semites in his party by at times appearing to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-demands-israel-enact-immediate-ceasefire-against-hamas-terrorists-seems-to-blame-israel-for-hostages-not-being-freed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blame</a> Israel for the hostages being released, he has &#8220;grown more impatient with Hamas,&#8221; the report said.
There is strong bipartisan support in the U.S. Congress to force the U.S. to reevaluate its relationship with Qatar if it does not apply serious pressure on the terrorist group.
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The shift by the Biden administration comes as the U.S. also is moving fighter jets, armed drones, and other military assets out of the U.A.E. and to Qatar to get around restrictions that the U.A.E. placed on the U.S. earlier this year.
The U.A.E. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/national-security/u-s-shuffles-military-assets-in-middle-east-after-gulf-pushback-e728e357" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the U.S. that it had to notify the country of military operations that it was conducting in the region in Iraq and Yemen if operations involved U.S. forces stationed in the U.A.E.
“Restrictions have been imposed on strike missions against targets in Iraq and Yemen,” a U.A.E. official told The Wall Street Journal. “Those restrictions are coming from a place of self-protection.”

SAUDI-US-GCC-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT-DIPLOMACY

U.S. Pushes Qatar To Expel Hamas If It Continues To Reject Hostage Negotiation

Biden Administration

Global Politics

World

A new report alleging President Joe Biden‘s younger brother, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/james-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Biden</a>, was in business with Qatari officials gave House Republicans fresh ammunition to warn the public about the first family being ensnared in foreign entanglements.
House Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY), who is leading the corruption-focused <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/impeachment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">impeachment</a> inquiry into President Biden, responded to the report from POLITICO on Sunday with a <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1784614674069143570" target="_blank" rel="noopener">post</a> to X that began with a siren emoji.
&#8220;The Bidens don’t sell a product, service, or a set of skills,&#8221; Comer said. &#8220;It’s simple: the Biden family is selling access for millions of dollars to those around the world willing to pay for it. And Joe Biden continues to lie about the role he played in the influence peddling schemes.&#8221;
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🚨The Bidens don’t sell a product, service, or a set of skills. 
It’s simple: the Biden family is selling access for millions of dollars to those around the world willing to pay for it.
And Joe Biden continues to lie about the role he played in the influence peddling schemes. <a href="https://t.co/WZGv8HXTsK">https://t.co/WZGv8HXTsK</a>
&mdash; Rep. James Comer (@RepJamesComer) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJamesComer/status/1784614674069143570?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 28, 2024</a></blockquote>
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The POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/04/28/jim-biden-qatar-testimony-00154704" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> centers on testimony by fund manager Michael Lewitt in a Kentucky bankruptcy court indicating that James Biden partnered with Qatari government officials to secure money for healthcare ventures.was  It noted that Lewitt is a former business partner of James Biden and is likely to face questions about the alleged Qatari ties during a planned interview for the impeachment inquiry.
The report said a representative for James Biden nor the Qatari Embassy responded to requests for comment. But Ali Al-Ansari, Qatar&#8217;s media attache in Washington, D.C., later provided The Daily Wire with a statement.
&#8220;We are unaware of this hypothetical investment deal referenced by a fact witness in a case unrelated to the State of Qatar,&#8221; the statement said. &#8220;The State of Qatar engages with the US government through official institutional channels. That said, we regularly work side by side with hundreds of US companies both in the United States and within Qatar, and expect all our business partners to comply fully with all relevant laws and regulations, including registration requirements.&#8221;
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James Biden has already given testimony for the House impeachment inquiry. He <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/james-biden-claims-president-was-not-involved-in-family-business-dealings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied</a> that President Biden had any involvement in his business activities and rejected a previous POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/18/the-biden-name-how-the-presidents-brother-became-embroiled-in-a-hospital-fiasco-00141868" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> that said he invoked his brother&#8217;s name to promote a hospital chain that collapsed. In addition, as <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-bidens-brother-told-the-irs-that-hunter-was-in-business-with-protege-of-chinese-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> by The Daily Wire, notes revealed during the deposition showed James Biden told the Internal Revenue Service that Hunter Biden, the president&#8217;s son, told him he was in business with a “protege&#8221; of Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
House GOP investigators have said they are looking into whether James Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/staff-looking-at-whether-james-biden-told-the-truth-in-deposition-house-gop-investigators-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;told the truth&#8221;</a> in his deposition after finding apparent inconsistencies with other impeachment probe witnesses, which Comer suggested could <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/comer-says-biden-impeachment-inquiry-will-lead-to-multiple-criminal-referrals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lead to criminal referrals</a>.
Comer formally invited President Biden to testify in mid-April and said investigators had accounted for $24 million that &#8220;flowed&#8221; toward Biden, his family, and their business associates from other countries, such as China and Ukraine. The chairman said his panel &#8220;identified no legitimate services to merit such lucrative payments&#8221; and declared that evidence, including bank records and witness testimony, &#8220;wholly contradicts&#8221; Biden&#8217;s denial about being involved in his family&#8217;s business activities.&#8221;
Biden&#8217;s special counsel, Richard Sauber, delivered a response that said the president would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-declines-invite-to-testify-for-impeachment-inquiry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">turn down</a> the invitation. In a letter to Comer, Sauber claimed the &#8220;impeachment investigation is over&#8221; and insisted the oversight panel had turned up evidence showing that Biden &#8220;has done nothing wrong.&#8221;

James Biden

House GOP Raises Alarm Over Biden Family’s Alleged Business With Qatari Officials

House GOP Raises Alarm Over Biden Family's Alleged Business With Qatari Officials

Congress

Impeachment

James Comer

Joe Biden

Politics

U.S. House of Representatives

A Qatari representative to the Arab Parliament, Essa bin Ahmad Al-Nassr, reportedly recently said that there can be &#8220;no peace or negotiations&#8221; with Israel and that Hamas&#8217; October 7 terrorist attacks were only the prelude to Israel&#8217;s destruction.
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) <a href="https://www.memri.org/tv/qatar-shura-council-member-essa-nassr-october7-introduction-annihilation-zionist-state-no-peace-prophet-slayers">translated</a> his remarks that were posted Monday on social media. According to the Qatari Shura website, he was promoted in Qatar&#8217;s military to an assistant commander of the Emiri Guard for Intelligence and Security at the rank of brigadier general.
He also holds positions on the Financial and Economic Affairs Committee and the Cultural and Media Affairs Committee, among others.
His remarks come as President Joe Biden has largely relied on the Qataris to try to negotiate with Hamas to release the Israeli and American hostages that it kidnapped on October 7. While some hostages have been released, many remain in captivity or have been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2023/10/09/israel-hamas-hostage-death/">killed</a> while in Hamas custody.
Biden has since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-demands-israel-enact-immediate-ceasefire-against-hamas-terrorists-seems-to-blame-israel-for-hostages-not-being-freed">appeared</a> to blame Israel for the hostages not being released and has demanded that they enact an &#8220;immediate ceasefire&#8221; in-exchange for nothing from Hamas.
&#8220;There can be no peace or negotiations with the Zionist entity, for one reason and one reason only: Their faith does not allow for negotiations,&#8221; Al-Nassr claimed, according to a translation provided by MEMRI. &#8220;Rather, it (condones) deception, the violation of agreements, and lies. Indeed, over 22 years have passed since the Arab Initiative was introduced, and they are yet to accept it. They only accept one thing — killing. They are the slayers of the prophets.&#8221;
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&#8220;The Al-Aqsa Flood operation is only the prelude to the annihilation of the corruption that the Zionist entity has spread in the land for the second time,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Inshallah, this will spell the beginning of the end for their state, once they have gathered in the land of Palestine, as Allah says in the Quran: &#8216;And we said to the Children of Israel, dwell in the land, but when the second of the warnings came to pass, we gathered you together in a mingled crowd.'&#8221;
He concluded: &#8220;Indeed, they are gathering together in the Land of Resurrection, the land of Palestine, the land where the next generation will fight, whether we like it or not. As-Salaam Alaikum and Allah’s blessings.&#8221;
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
Qatar rep to the Arab Parliament, Shura Council Member Essa bin Ahmad Al-Nassr, says there can be “no peace or negotiations” with Israel
He says Hamas&#8217; 10/7 terror attack is “only the introduction to the annihilation” of Israel
Why&#8217;s Biden relying on Qatar to get the hostages? <a href="https://t.co/EKyH5fAeie">pic.twitter.com/EKyH5fAeie</a>
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSaavedra/status/1783046171600015553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2024</a></blockquote>

Essa bin Ahmad Al-Nassr

Qatari Official: ‘There Can Be No Peace Or Negotiations’ With Israel; October 7 ‘Only The Prelude’

Conflicts

The prime minister of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani, insisted his country, which has funded Hamas for years and hosts the heads of the group in Doha, has no power or influence over them.
Al Thani spoke at an Atlantic Council event as Qatar has been criticized for its unwillingness to pressure Hamas into releasing Israeli hostages.
“Our role needs to be understood clearly in this context, our role is mediator, we try to bring the parties to bridge gaps between them,” Al Thani said, as Jewish Insider <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2024/01/qatar-hamas-hostages-mohammed-bin-abdulrahman-bin-jassim-al-thani/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. “We don’t see that Qatar is a superpower that can impose something on this party or the other party to bring them to that place.”
“Qatar is Hamas&#8217; most important financial backer and foreign ally. Qatari Emir Sheik Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani was the first state leader to visit the Hamas government in 2012. So far, the emirate has transferred €1.5 billion ($1.8 billion) to Hamas,” Deutsche Welle <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/who-is-hamas/a-57537872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> in 2021. “Doha <a href="https://www.apnews.com/article/world-news-israel-qatar-militant-groups-gaza-strip-49a1591f50b183920b5d4310c2098683" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pledged</a> $360 million of annual support to the enclave in January 2021, in part to subsidize government salaries,” FDD <a href="https://www.fdd.org/analysis/2023/12/19/10-things-to-know-about-hamas-and-qatar/#:~:text=Qatar%20harbors%20top%20Hamas%20leaders,of%20the%20group%27s%20diaspora%20office." target="_blank" rel="noopener">pointed out</a>, adding, “<a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/extremists/ismail-haniyeh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ismail Haniyeh</a>, the chief of Hamas’s political bureau, resides in Qatar, as do <a href="https://www.ynetnews.com/magazine/article/r1zstci7p#:~:text=Khalil%20al%2DHayya,resides%20in%20Qatar." target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khalil al-Hayya</a>, head of Hamas’s communications office, and <a href="https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20231103-most-wanted-the-hamas-leaders-on-israel-s-radar#:~:text=Khaled%20Meshaal%2C%20the%20Hamas%20leader%20in%20exile" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Khaled Mashal</a>, Hamas’s former political chief and current head of the group’s diaspora office.”
“It doesn’t mean that being there, hosting them is a leverage that we have over them,” Al Thani continued. “We don’t see that this is a point of leverage. We see this as a point, as a channel of communication that we are using, always for good causes.”
NBC News reporter Andrea Mitchell and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius who moderated the event, reportedly did not ask the prime minister directly about his country’s financial support of Hamas.
Commenting on reports that a dozen U.N. Relief and Works Agency employees participated in the Oct. 7 Hamas massacre of 1,200 Israelis, Al Thani said the organization “cannot be punished because of the acts of some employees” as long as the organization is “complying with” their internal procedures, adding, “It’s a behavior of an individual or small group of people among tens of thousands… it cannot be a way to label the entire agency as violating or adopting such [an] act.”
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“Neither Al Thani nor the event’s moderators addressed <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/at-least-12-u-n-agency-employees-involved-in-oct-7-attacks-intelligence-reports-say-a7de8f36" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a report in the Wall Street Journal</a> that 1,200 UNRWA employees are members of Hamas, and around half of its employees have close ties to Hamas members,” Jewish Insider noted.

World Economic Forum

Qatar’s Prime Minister Insists His Government Has No Influence Over Hamas

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-NJ) defended himself on the Senate floor Tuesday morning against the newest criminal charges he faces for allegedly accepting bribes in exchange for advancing the interests of Qatar.
The new charges were contained in a superseding indictment that was <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/02/politics/bob-menendez-superseding-indictment-qatar/index.html">unsealed</a> last week and alleges Menendez accepted various gifts and payments in exchange for taking action to help Qatar and one of the other co-conspirators listed in the indictment.
&#8220;I’m innocent, and I intend to prove my innocence – not just for me, but for the precedent this case will set for you and for future members of the Senate,&#8221; Menendez said. &#8220;Members of the Senate are not above the law, but they are not beneath it either. If for political expediency, an indictment and its accusations are now tantamount to guilt, we have upended our system of justice in America.&#8221;
Menendez claimed that there was &#8220;no evidence&#8221; of the &#8220;sensationalized allegations&#8221; being made against him and said that &#8220;a full explanation of what is the truth about those issues&#8221; will be presented at trial which he claimed &#8220;proves I am entirely innocent of the charges.&#8221;
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&#8220;I understand how the government&#8217;s accusations may be in the most sensational and purposely damning way possible,&#8221; Menendez continued. &#8220;It&#8217;s misuse of the grand jury system to bring superseding indictments, even though it had all the information they allege from the beginning, can be a source of concern and content by some of my colleagues, the political establishment, and most importantly, the people of New Jersey… I am suffering greatly as a result of what they have done after 50 years of public service – this is not how I wanted to celebrate my golden jubilee.&#8221;
WATCH:
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Sen. Bob Menendez

Senator Bob Menendez Responds To Latest Bribery Charges Against Him

Bob Menendez

New Jersey

U.S. Senate

President Biden’s ambassador to Qatar, Timmy Davis, ignoring the fact that the kingdom hosts the leadership of the terrorist group Hamas, saluted the kingdom of Qatar and insisted it had a great 2023, despite the fact that the Israeli hostages in Gaza have been held at the mercy of Hamas.
Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Moussa Abu Marzuk, and Khaled Mashal all live comfortably in Doha, Qatar’s capital, where they maintain an office and where they celebrated the widespread massacre of Israeli Jews on October 7.
“As U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, I consider myself the most fortunate U.S. Ambassador in the world,” Davis tweeted. “The U.S.-Qatar partnership could not be stronger, and Qatar could not have done more than it did in 2023 to play an indispensable role on the world stage. To all Qatari citizens and residents, congratulations on Qatar National Day!”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
As U.S. Ambassador to Qatar, I consider myself the most fortunate U.S. Ambassador in the world. The U.S.-Qatar partnership could not be stronger, and Qatar could not have done more than it did in 2023 to play an indispensable role on the world stage. To all Qatari citizens and… <a href="https://t.co/UoO5QEegvc">pic.twitter.com/UoO5QEegvc</a>
&mdash; Ambassador Timmy Davis (@USAmbQatar) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAmbQatar/status/1736602394295706017?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 18, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At the end of November 2023, the Biden administration’s State Department announced a $1 billion arms sale to Qatar, despite the Arab nation&#8217;s strong ties to groups the United States had listed as terrorist organizations.
Earlier that month, The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/qatars-regional-role-as-a-mediator-between-west-and-middle-east/">noted</a> that three neighboring countries, along with Egypt, severed ties with Doha in 2017, accusing it of financing terrorism.
Members of the Committee on Foreign Affairs in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2017 <a href="https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-115hhrg26427/html/CHRG-115hhrg26427.htm">accused</a> Qatar of funding U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations, such as Hamas, as well as several extremist groups operating in Syria.
&#8220;Qatar has openly housed Hamas leaders, Taliban leaders, and has several individuals who have been sanctioned by our U.S. Treasury Department, and it has failed to prosecute them,&#8221; former Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL) said during testimony. &#8220;At least one high-ranking Qatari official provided support to the mastermind of the 9/11 terror attacks against our country, Khalid Sheikh Mohammad.&#8221;
“Many individuals and charities in Qatar have been known to raise large sums of money for al-Qaeda, the Nusra Front, Hamas, and even ISIS,&#8221; Ros-Lehtinen said. &#8220;In Qatar, there are three buckets: Terror financing by the government; terror financing done in Qatar through their own citizens that their government may not know about; and terror financing in Qatar that the government knows about but does nothing to stop.”

Jeddah Security and Development Summit âââââââ

Biden’s Ambassador Celebrates Qatar, Despite It Harboring Hamas

Ambassador

An organization which has been instrumental in securing the release of American hostages from abroad but also gets a great deal of funding from Qatar’s government reportedly lectured families of Israeli hostages taken by Hamas not to criticize Qatar, which has <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/who-is-hamas/a-57537872" target="_blank" rel="noopener">financially backed</a> Hamas to the tune of nearly $2 billion since 2007 and also hosts its leaders in Doha.
The Richardson Center for Global Engagement claims it “promotes global peace and dialogue by identifying and working on areas of opportunity for engagement and citizen diplomacy with countries and communities not usually open to more formal diplomatic channels,” as Lahav Harkov <a href="https://jewishinsider.com/2023/12/hostages-families-qatar-the-richardson-center-israel-gaza/">reported</a>, noting that the organization repeatedly claimed last year that it “is greatly appreciative of our partners, including the Government of Qatar, and the many individuals who support and enable our work as a non-for-profit.”
As far back as 2019, Harkov pointed out, the Richardson Center revealed a “substantial investment in hostage recovery” from Qatar, as its Executive Director Mickey Bergman said “the funding provided by Qatar will allow us to expand our team, engage in more on the ground activities, and provide even greater support to families in their darkest hours.”
Harkov stated of the hostages’ families, “We are currently working with many of the families. Our only priority is the safe return of the hostages. Due to the sensitivity of the work, we are not able to comment on any of it.”
But a source advising hostages’ families told Jewish Insider the Richardson Center told the families that “pressure on Qatar would be counterproductive because Qatar holds all the leverage.” The source continued, “It’s all a scam on the families, sadly. The one lever not pulled in 10 weeks is pressure on Qatar.”
Another source differed, saying of Bergman, “It’s hard for me to believe that this is in his self-serving interest over funding.&#8221;
Seth Frantzman of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies said, “While it is imperative that the hostages be released as soon as possible, one should be wary of Doha’s role as both a host of Hamas and a mediator. Hamas has benefited from being hosted in Qatar, seeking legitimization the same way the Taliban did via Doha in the past. It is essential that Qatar give Hamas the cold shoulder and condemn the group’s atrocities.”
Asher Fredma of the Misgav Institute for National Security and Zionist Strategy, echoed, “Qatar’s ultimate goal is for Hamas to survive and continue to be an Islamist terrorist force in the region, so definitely calling out Qatar is the right thing to do. Qatar is a negative actor that should be treated as such. The U.S. and Israel and all the actors…putting pressure on Qatar is the way to get them to take a more active role with regards to the hostages.”

Israel-Hamas War In Third Month

Qatar-Funded Organization Reportedly Urges Hostages’ Families Not To Slam Qatar, Which Hosts Hamas

Top <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hamas" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hamas</a> terrorist officials who have lived extravagant lives inside Qatar in recent years are reportedly on the run amid fears that Israeli operatives are preparing to kill them.
The Jerusalem Post <a href="https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-777767" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that several Hamas leaders have left for &#8220;an unknown destination, turning off their phones and not accepting calls,&#8221; according to a report that cited sources in Qatar&#8217;s capital city of Doha.
Separately, a top official left his home in Qatar for the Islamic fascist state of Turkey, the report said.
Another local report said that the Hamas leaders fled their homes because Qatar informed them that the country could no longer guarantee their safety and urged them to leave.
The news comes after Hamas terrorists carried out an unprecedented terrorist attack against Israel two months ago, murdering 1,200 Israelis, wounding 5,300+, kidnapping hundreds, and committing horrific acts of sadistic sexual violence against numerous victims ranging from children to the elderly.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the media late last month that he has ordered Mossad to hunt down and kill Hamas&#8217; leaders &#8220;wherever they are.&#8221; Netanyahu went as far as to say that even when there was a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, Hamas&#8217; leaders were not exempted from being killed during that time.
&#8220;They are living on borrowed time,&#8221; added Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. &#8220;The struggle is worldwide: From gunman in the field to those who are enjoying luxury jets while their emissaries are acting against women and children, they are destined to die.&#8221;
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The head of the Israel Security Agency, commonly referred to as “Shin Bet,” said in a recently leaked audio recording that Israel viewed the current moment as “our Munich” — a reference to when Palestinian terrorists murdered 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team in the 1972 Summer Games in Munich. Israel responded to the murders by hunting down and killing every person who was involved, either directly or indirectly, with the attacks.
“The cabinet set a goal for us, to take out Hamas. And we are determined to do it, this is our Munich,” said Shin Bet Head Ronen Bar. “In every location, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Lebanon, in Turkey, in Qatar, everyone. It will take a few years, but we will be there in order to do it.”

QATAR-PALESTINIAN-ISRAEL-CONFLICT

Hamas Officials Begin To Flee Foreign Countries Amid Fears That Israel Is About To Kill Them

Terrorism

A new report delineates how Qatar, the largest foreign donor to U.S. universities, uses its enormous financial resources to influence what the report calls the “organizations, institutions and mechanisms that are being used by the Qatari paymaster to manipulate Western democracies.”
“Islamism developed in Qatar between the 1960s and 1980s, and it was influenced by the writings of significant Muslim Brotherhood (MB) scholars/ideologues such as Sayyid Qutb,” states the <a href="https://isgap.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Networks-of-Hate_1DEC.pdf">report</a> from the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy titled, “Networks of Hate: Qatari Paymasters, Soft Power and the Manipulation of Democracy.&#8221; &#8220;A group of Muslim Brotherhood members gradually re-developed strategies, and started thinking in terms of ‘human rights’ and ‘civil society’ for its proselytizing (da’wah) system.”
“Qatar supported the activist, political and ‘civilian’ structures of Arab and Islamist non-state actors—especially those affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood,  some of which were designated terrorists by the United States for their ties to Hamas and other terror groups around the world,” the report continues.
The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), established in 2005, has estimated total assets of between $500 billion and $1 trillion. It has invested in the Empire State Building, Plaza Hotel, and St. Regis Hotel in New York City, and, according to a 2022 publication by the US-Qatar Business Council, plans to invest $45 billion into the United States market.
The Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (Qatar Foundation, “QF”) was a non-profit organization established in 1995 but later changed its status to a “private institution for public benefit,” the report states. “This shift signifies that the QF could now identify itself as a private organization without any restrictions tied to a governmental entity, while the Emir of Qatar retains ownership. Therefore, Qatar was given the ability to mask state funding as private sector giving,&#8221; the report explains.
“At the time of writing, the State of Qatar contributes more funds to universities in the United States than any other country in the world &#8230; as ISGAP has exposed on numerous occasions, billions of USD are being donated to higher education without being declared as funding from Qatar by universities,” the report alleges.
“Collaboration on joint projects between different U.S. universities utilizing foreign companies—including Spain—to transfer money from Qatar into various universities,” the report continues. “Notably, evidence indicates that the Spanish energy company, Iberdrola, and its American subsidiary, Avangrid, were utilized as conduits to indirectly channel Qatari money into partnerships with U.S. universities without proper disclosure.”
“It is important to note that when Hamas was created, it designated itself as “one of the wings of Moslem Brotherhood in Palestine (sic),” the report states. “Qatar has provided a safe haven for Hamas’ political leadership since 2012. In January 2015, then-Qatari Foreign Minister referred to then-Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshaal as the country’s “dear guest.”
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“ISGAP’s research has found that universities continuously fail to adequately report significant financial sums that are granted to universities. In fact, millions of Qatari funds were omitted from mandatory disclosures,” the report states. “This violates Section 117 of the HEA, and is symptomatic a Qatari pattern to resist calls for transparency around university funding.”
“Another method in which Qatar can transfer funds without reporting is by utilizing foreign companies to transfer money from Qatar into various universities,” the report says. “For example, funds were transferred to Yale University through Iberdrola and its subsidiary Avangrid. Additionally, Santander Bank was involved in channeling funds to different faculties to support collaborative study programs with QF.”
“Qatar gains faculty advocacy for pro-Qatari perspectives on campus. Indeed, academics are ultimately incentivized to incorporate pro-Qatari advocacy into their syllabi,” the report adds. “Thus, Qatar is seemingly able to normalize its ideological imprint on American classrooms. This would seem to constitute inappropriate foreign pedagogical interference, masked by superficial academic engagement. “
The report suggests that Congressional hearings “should be convened to fully understand the impact of Qatar’s aggressive investment strategies and assess their influence on Western democratic values and potential security implications,” and an investigation should be launched into universities that take funds from Qatar and an assessment should be made to “assess the impact on education and curriculum, scholarship, and discourse.”
“Is this a cause of the explosion of antisemitism in higher education that has placed Jewish students and faculty in difficulties?” the report asks.

Report Examines How Hamas-Harboring Qatar Influences Universities, American Institutions

Anti-Semitism

Education

Universities