Former PM Naftali Bennett Condemns Qatar’s Role in Gaza During Visit to Border Area

Former Israeli Prime Minister and leader of the "Together" party, Naftali Bennett, visited the Netiv HaAsara settlement near the Gaza border on Tuesday, where he sharply criticized Qatar's involvement in Gaza. Bennett accused Qatar of being a more dangerous enemy than Iran, claiming they secretly support tunnel digging and plan future attacks. He condemned the Israeli government for rewarding Qatar after the October 7 attacks by effectively handing them control over Gaza, stating, "They are given the keys to Gaza." Bennett also blamed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for allowing Qatar influence both in his office and in Gaza, vowing to remove them and declare Qatar a hostile state.

Bennett emphasized that decisions regarding Gaza are now made in Qatar rather than Jerusalem, resulting in an increased number of militants in Gaza since October 7. He called Qatar "cursed" and reiterated his intention to define it as an enemy state. Additionally, Bennett addressed current political issues, asserting that the Ra'am party led by Mansour Abbas is not Zionist and declaring he would only form coalitions with Zionist parties.

He also criticized Gadi Eizenkot, a leading candidate in recent polls, for not labeling Qatar as an enemy state. This comment followed a report that Eizenkot declined to define Qatar as hostile during a recent election event, despite questions about his associates’ ties to Qatari entities. Eizenkot acknowledged Qatar’s negative actions against Israel but noted that Qatar is not officially designated an enemy state, comparing it to Turkey’s complex relationship with Israel.