Israel Halts All Security Exports to Qatar Nearly Three Years After October 7 Attacks

Nearly three years after the October 7, 2023 attacks, Israel has finally decided to completely freeze all security exports to Qatar, including the cancellation of previously signed contracts. This decision, reported last week by Channel 12, reflects a significant shift in Israel's stance toward Qatar, which Israeli security officials now describe as a "hostile state" acting against Israeli interests.

Qatar's longstanding ties with Hamas are well-known, as Doha has hosted Hamas leadership for years, provided them a platform through its Al Jazeera network, and supplied generous funding. Qatar has leveraged its relationship with Hamas to boost its regional and international influence. Despite this, Israeli governments for years tolerated and even encouraged Qatar's involvement in Gaza, formalizing financial transfers and maintaining security cooperation that persisted through multiple governments and conflicts until the morning of October 7, 2023.

Israel actively persuaded Qatar to continue funding Gaza and maintained diplomatic and security contacts even after the attacks. The article argues that Israel was not deceived by Qatar but consciously chose this policy. The failure lies with Israel's security and political leadership for allowing these ties to continue for so long, including ongoing security exports after the attacks.

While Qatar remains an important U.S. ally hosting American forces and serving as a mediator with Hamas, the article stresses the difference between engaging with an adversary and strengthening it militarily. The decision to halt security exports is justified but long overdue, raising questions about who authorized these deals and why they continued post-October 7. The article calls for accountability and a state inquiry into the delayed policy reversal.

Dr. Yoel Guzansky, a Gulf expert and senior researcher at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, authored this analysis, emphasizing that Israel's prolonged denial of Qatar's dual role was a strategic mistake. The freeze on security exports is not a diplomatic achievement but a necessary correction that should have occurred immediately after the attacks.