Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said at the INSS conference that Qatar operates a sophisticated global influence operation aimed at eliminating Israel, including funding the Al Jazeera network. He reiterated his pledge to declare Qatar an enemy state, calling it 'a cancer that sends metastases to the West and even to the Prime Minister's office.' Bennett also stated that a basic inquiry committee into October 7 would have concluded Qatar is an enemy state.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett's full remarks at the INSS annual conference, published later Monday morning, expand on his earlier pledge to declare Qatar an enemy state. He now directly accuses Qatar of funding the Al Jazeera network as part of a 'global influence operation to eliminate Israel,' describing the network as antisemitic and echoing Hamas messages. He reiterated his characterization of Qatar as 'a cancer that sends metastases to the West and even to the Prime Minister's office,' and said its hands are 'stained with the blood of our sons and daughters' from the October 7 massacre.
The Zioneer first reported at 11:48 Jerusalem that Bennett declared at the INSS conference that he would declare Qatar an enemy state in the next government, citing Qatar's funding of Iran's Revolutionary Guards, the al-Nusra Front, and Hamas. Additional reporting published at the same time specified that Bennett cited Qatar's funding of the IRGC as the reason, and that he called Qatar 'a cancer' and linked the issue to the October 7 massacre, saying a basic inquiry committee would have concluded Qatar is an enemy state. The current update adds the specific allegation regarding Al Jazeera and the broader global influence campaign.
Bennett's remarks come amid a broader political campaign in which he has positioned himself as a critic of the current government's handling of national security and internal affairs. As The Zioneer has reported, Bennett has repeatedly warned of internal fragmentation and criticized the government's approach to Iran and the October 7 aftermath. The remarks also reflect ongoing tensions over Qatar's role as a mediator in Gaza and its ties to various actors in the region.
No official response has been reported from Qatar or the Israeli Prime Minister's Office. Bennett's allegations regarding Al Jazeera's funding and its role in a global influence operation have not been independently verified.
4 developments
- StrongBennett accuses Qatar of 'metastasizing' to the West and the Prime Minister's office
- StrongFormer PM Bennett: Israel has a clear strategic plan to topple the Iranian regime
- DevelopingBennett: Anti-Zionist state emerging within Israel, state-funded
- DevelopingBennett says Israel smuggled Starlink into Iran; effort halted by current government
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