Naftali Bennett Threatens to Declare Qatar an Enemy State in Next Israeli Government

Naftali Bennett, chairman of the "Together" party, announced at the INSS National Security Conference on July 1, 2026, that he intends to declare Qatar an enemy state if he joins the next Israeli government. Bennett accused Qatar of being an "antisemitic cancer" that spreads harmful influence to the West and even into the Israeli Prime Minister's office, aiming to destroy Israel. He highlighted Qatar's role as a primary financier of Islamist terrorism, especially Hamas, holding it responsible for the bloodshed of many Israelis who were killed, raped, burned, or kidnapped during the October 7 attacks.

Bennett further claimed that Qatar has established a global influence operation dedicated to Israel's destruction, including funding and operating the antisemitic Al Jazeera network, which echoes Hamas's messages and incites against Israel. He argued that had a basic investigative committee been formed to examine the events of October 7, one of its primary conclusions would have been that Qatar is an enemy state whose leaders seek Israel's annihilation.