Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett has vowed to declare Qatar an enemy state if he returns to power, sharpening a debate many Israelis believe should have happened long before Oct. 7.
Speaking this week at a security conference, Bennett accused Doha of running a long-term influence campaign against Israel while presenting itself to Washington as a useful mediator. He said Qatar is not a complicated partner, but an enemy, and argued that after the Hamas massacre of Oct. 7 there is no room left for strategic ambiguity.
“The leaders of Qatar have a goal of eliminating Israel, period,” Bennett stressed, noting that “in universities in the United States, Qatar has invested billions to go in and educate the young generation. And so the students there are educated in ‘From the river to the sea.’”
Bennett revealed that while serving as prime minister he saw intelligence indicating Qatar had funded Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. He also accused Doha of funding Hamas directly, supporting jihadist elements in Syria, and using Al Jazeera as an international incitement machine against the Jewish state.
Qatar rejected the accusations, saying Bennett was spreading disinformation for political gain. Doha claims its role in Gaza diplomacy and hostage negotiations has been coordinated with regional and international partners.
But for many Israelis, that is precisely the problem. Qatar has managed to occupy two roles at once: host of Hamas leaders and broker of hostage talks; financier of Gaza and friend of Washington; patron of Al Jazeera’s anti-Israel messaging and supposed stabilizing force in the region.
Qatar bears responsibility for the October 7 massacre.
Qatar financed October 7. It continues to host and provide sanctuary in Doha to the leaders of the terrorist organization to this very day.
They’ve never condemned the October 7 massacre. Instead, they celebrated the… https://t.co/ILHWky8Bq7
— Naftali Bennett נפתלי בנט (@naftalibennett) July 28, 2026
Bennett tied the issue directly to the “Qatargate” scandal that has plagued Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office, after reports that senior aides had worked on behalf of Doha while Qatar was mediating between Israel and Hamas. Bennett has called the affair one of the gravest betrayals in Israeli history and has promised a commission of inquiry if elected. Netanyahu says the charges amount to a “witch hunt” and Doha itself has noted successive Israeli governments, including Bennett’s, had acted as a conduit for Qatari money to reach Gaza.
The larger frustration is aimed not only at Jerusalem, but at Washington. President Donald Trump continues to treat Qatar as a valued American ally, relying on Doha as a diplomatic channel and strategic partner even as Israelis increasingly see the emirate as one of the most dangerous actors in the region.
Qatar’s power does not look like Iran’s missiles or Hamas tunnels. It looks like money, media, universities, influence networks, and polished diplomacy. It works by shaping the Western mind while keeping a foot in the jihadist camp.
Bennett’s pledge may be political, but the question it raises is real: How long can Israel and America pretend Qatar is a partner when so much of its power is spent empowering Israel’s enemies?
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