Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded Tuesday evening after Qatar's embassy in Washington condemned his earlier call to officially designate Qatar an enemy state. Bennett accused Qatar of funding the October 7 massacre, hosting terror leaders, and celebrating the attack, saying: 'They will not buy me with money. Qatar is an enemy, and we will declare it as such.'
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett on Tuesday evening escalated his public confrontation with Qatar, responding forcefully after Doha's diplomatic mission in Washington condemned his call to designate the Gulf state an enemy of Israel.
In a statement published by Israeli media, Bennett accused Qatar of funding the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led massacre, hosting terror leaders in Doha, and celebrating the attack. 'They never condemned the October 7 massacre, and they celebrated the slaughter, the murder, the rape of Israeli citizens,' he said. 'They will not buy me with money. Qatar is an enemy, and we will declare it as such.'
The exchange follows a busy day in the political debate over Qatar's role. Earlier Tuesday, Qatar's US embassy issued a condemnation of Bennett's initial call, which he first made Monday at the INSS conference. Minister Miki Zohar also voiced support for designating Qatar an enemy state, citing Doha's current conduct. The Zioneer reported earlier that Bennett had questioned why Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not taken such a step, suggesting ties between Netanyahu's office and Qatar.
Bennett's latest remarks reinforce his position that Qatar should be formally classified as a hostile entity, a move that would carry diplomatic and legal consequences. The Qatari government has not issued a further response beyond its embassy's initial condemnation.
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
Source and signal
- Open-source intake