Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said Tuesday evening that Qatar bears responsibility for the October 7 massacre, funded it, and continues to host terrorist leaders in Doha. Bennett stated that Qatar is an enemy and that 'we will declare it an enemy.' The remarks come after the Qatari embassy in Washington condemned Bennett's earlier call to designate Qatar an enemy state.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett escalated his public campaign against Qatar on Tuesday evening, issuing a statement directly accusing the Gulf state of bearing responsibility for the October 7, 2023 massacre and pledging to designate it as an enemy state. The statement, which came at 22:28 Jerusalem, marks the latest exchange in a day of intensifying rhetoric between Bennett and Doha.
The confrontation unfolded in stages on Tuesday. At 08:39 Jerusalem, Bennett called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare Qatar an enemy state, questioning whether ties between Netanyahu's office and Qatar were blocking the move. By 20:35 Jerusalem, the story had multiplied: the Israeli news site Ynet reported that Qatar had responded to Bennett, claiming it advanced ceasefires and hostage releases. Shortly afterward, the Qatari embassy in Washington condemned Bennett's earlier call. Bennett then replied directly at 20:35, accusing Qatar of funding the October 7 massacre, hosting terror leaders, and celebrating the attack. He stated: 'Qatar is an enemy, and we will declare it as such.' Later that same hour, Bennett accused Qatar of spreading lies and celebrating the massacre. The Zioneer reported on each of these developments at 20:35 and 21:16 Jerusalem.
Bennett's remarks extend a pattern of criticism against the current government's handling of Qatar. As The Zioneer reported on Monday, at the INSS conference he described Qatar as 'a cancer that sends metastases to the West and even to the Prime Minister's office,' and pledged to declare it an enemy state in his next government. He has also accused Qatar of funding Al Jazeera as part of a global influence operation aimed at eliminating Israel.
There was no immediate response from the Prime Minister's Office or the Qatari government to Bennett's latest statement.
3 developments
- StrongBennett accuses Qatar of 'metastasizing' to the West and the Prime Minister's office
- DevelopingBennett: Netanyahu should declare Qatar an enemy state, questions connection to his office
- StrongMinister Miki Zohar backs declaring Qatar an enemy state
- StrongBennett accuses Qatar of funding Al Jazeera in global influence campaign
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