Former PM Bennett Vows to Declare Qatar an Enemy State in Next Government

Former Israeli Prime Minister and chairman of the Yamina party, Naftali Bennett, declared at the INSS National Security Conference that in the next government he will officially designate Qatar as an enemy state. Bennett described Qatar as a "cancer" that spreads harmful influence to the West and even into the Israeli Prime Minister's office, accusing it of violent antisemitism and a goal to destroy Israel.

He emphasized Qatar's role as a primary financier of Islamist terrorism, particularly Hamas, holding it responsible for the bloodshed of Israelis who were killed, raped, burned, and kidnapped on October 7. Bennett accused Qatar of establishing a global influence operation aimed at Israel's destruction, including funding and operating the antisemitic Al Jazeera network, which amplifies Hamas's messages and incites against Israel.

Bennett asserted that if a basic investigative committee were formed to examine the events of October 7, one of its primary conclusions would be that Qatar is an enemy state whose leaders seek Israel's annihilation.