Gadi Eizenkot Avoids Labeling Qatar an Enemy Despite Close Associates' Ties

During a July 2026 election event for his party Yisrael!, former IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot refrained from declaring Qatar an enemy state, contrasting with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett who did so earlier that week. When questioned by an attendee about the connections of his close associates to Qatar, Eizenkot addressed concerns regarding lawyer Yossi Benkel, who has represented Qatari entities and financially supports Eizenkot's campaign, and advisor Amir Adaki, linked to the "Qatargate" affair. The attendee demanded Eizenkot completely distance himself from Qatar and endorse its designation as an enemy state, similar to Bennett's stance.

Eizenkot responded that he is "the last to defend Qatar," noting he personally has no ties to Qataris except for one prince he met during studies in the US. He emphasized that Qatar is not officially defined as an enemy state despite engaging in hostile activities against Israel. He compared Qatar's status to Turkey, which is also hostile yet maintains trade relations with Israel. Eizenkot did not commit to supporting Qatar's enemy state designation and focused on clarifying Qatar's current legal status.

According to journalist Amiel Yerachy of i24NEWS, Eizenkot received a 100,000 shekel guarantee from lawyer Yossi Benkel, who has represented Qatari banks and a charity operating in Gaza, continuing such representation even after the October 7 attacks. Eizenkot did not address allegations concerning Benkel or Adaki directly, concentrating instead on his position regarding Qatar.

This episode highlights a divergence in Israeli political figures' approaches to Qatar amid ongoing regional tensions and scrutiny over Qatar-linked individuals' involvement in Israeli political campaigns.