Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani met with Rabbi Mendy Shitrit, head of the Rabbinical Alliance of Islamic Countries, in Doha on Tuesday, according to a report from an Arabic-language source. Rabbi Shitrit thanked the Emir for his hospitality and for his concern for Jewish life in Qatar.
The meeting was reported on Tuesday afternoon by an Arabic-language the source that covers the Arab world. According to the report, Rabbi Shitrit expressed gratitude to the Emir for hosting him and for Qatar's support of Jewish life in the country.
The report's author, identified as Or Ben Yechzekel, offered personal commentary criticizing the meeting, calling it 'cheap propaganda' by Qatar to distance itself from allegations of antisemitism. He questioned the rabbi's decision to meet the Emir, invoking the memory of the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
The meeting comes on the same day that former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to declare Qatar an enemy state, questioning the ties between Netanyahu's office and Doha, as The Zioneer reported earlier Tuesday. Qatar has been a central mediator in hostage negotiations and US-Iran talks, but faces ongoing criticism from Israeli officials for its support of Hamas.
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