Egypt Angered by Israeli Influence Campaign Funded by Qatar
Translated & summarized from Behadrei Haredim by baba
Egypt has expressed strong anger towards Israel over a Qatari-funded influence campaign that included negative briefings about Egypt. The crisis escalated in spring 2024, with Egyptian officials confronting Israeli counterparts about the "disrespectful" treatment. This diplomatic fallout is now linked to the "Qatargate" affair, with suspicions of "harming Israel's foreign relations."
The story in 4 lines · by baba
- Egypt protested Israel's involvement in a Qatari-funded influence campaign that targeted Cairo.
- The diplomatic crisis peaked in spring 2024 before the Rafah ground operation.
- An Egyptian official told an Israeli minister, "You are trying to push us away from the table."
- The issue has led to suspicions of "harming Israel's foreign relations" in the "Qatargate" affair.
Egypt has lodged strong protests with Israel over an influence campaign funded by Qatar during the recent conflict, which included briefings and disparagements against Cairo. Egyptian officials understood they were the target of a coordinated effort and conveyed their anger through diplomatic, security, and political channels to Jerusalem, according to Channel 12 news.
The tension peaked in spring 2024, shortly before the IDF's ground operation in Rafah. This was a particularly sensitive period, as Israel needed Egyptian cooperation amid Cairo's concerns about refugee flows into its territory. During a meeting in Jerusalem between a senior Egyptian official and an Israeli cabinet minister, the Egyptian representative stated, "You are trying to push us away from the table." The minister attempted to de-escalate, saying, "We want more cooperation with you regarding the IDF's operation in Rafah." The Egyptian official remained unconvinced, warning, "Israel is not treating us with respect, and this has implications."
These sharp messages also reached professional levels. An Israeli diplomat received a reprimand from a senior Egyptian official he worked with, who questioned, "Why is Israel behaving this way towards us?" In response to these complaints, Israeli security officials in continuous contact with their Egyptian counterparts compiled a special internal document. This document unequivocally stated that Egypt is aware of Israel disseminating messages against it and analyzed the consequences of the deep crisis of trust.
The diplomatic crisis now also carries significant legal implications within the "Qatargate" affair. The Israeli briefings against Egypt form the basis for suspicion of "harming Israel's foreign relations," a severe security offense that can be attributed to any individual, not just public officials.
