Overview
- Bennett announced at the INSS National Security Conference that he will designate Qatar an enemy state if he leads the next Israeli government, a pledge reported across Israeli and international outlets.
- He accused Doha of financing Hamas, transferring funds to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and running a global influence operation that uses outlets such as Al Jazeera to harm Israel’s standing.
- Qatar pushed back through its U.S. communications attaché and its embassy, calling Bennett’s claims false and politically motivated and stressing that its Gaza work is coordinated with international partners and has secured ceasefires and hostage releases.
- The public dispute intensified after Qatar’s rebuke when Bennett released a video on July 28 repeating the promise and saying “You won’t buy me with money,” while no formal Israeli designation or diplomatic break has yet occurred.
- The feud arrives before Israel’s October vote and could affect mediation channels, hostage negotiations and relations with the United States because Qatar hosts Hamas’s political office and major U.S. facilities in the Gulf.