Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday night sharply criticized Qatar for what he described as “playing both sides” in Israel’s ongoing war against Hamas, calling on the Gulf state to choose whether it supports the Palestinian terrorist organization or the forces of “civilization.”
“Israel is fighting a just war with just means. After the October 7 atrocities, Prime Minister Netanyahu defined the War of Redemption as a war between civilization and barbarism,” read a statement posted to the prime minister’s official X account.
“The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it’s on the side of civilization or if it’s on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means,” the post added.
Qatar has served as the key mediator in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas since the outbreak of the war. However, Netanyahu’s remarks signal increasing frustration in Jerusalem over Doha’s role.
Responding to Netanyahu’s comments, Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed Al Ansari condemned the Israeli leader’s remarks, describing them as irresponsible.
“The State of Qatar firmly rejects the inflammatory statements issued by the Israeli Prime Minister’s Office, which fall far short of the most basic standards of political and moral responsibility,” Al Ansari wrote in a post on X. “Portraying the ongoing aggression against Gaza as a defense of ‘civilization’ echoes the rhetoric of regimes throughout history that have used false narratives to justify crimes against innocent civilians,” he added.
Al Ansari claimed that Qatar has acted as a neutral party, working closely with the United States and Egypt to mediate a resolution to the conflict.
“Since the outbreak of the war, the State of Qatar, working in close coordination with its partners, has made every effort to support mediation aimed at ending the fighting, protecting civilians, and securing the release of hostages,” he said.
Criticism of Qatar has also emerged from within the Israeli government. On Monday, Amichai Chikli, Israel’s Minister for Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, said Israel had erred in trusting Doha to broker talks.
“We made a terrible mistake to negotiate with Qatar and to bring Qatar as negotiators,” Chikli said at the JNS International Policy Summit in Jerusalem last week. “Qatar is an enemy and a core part of the Muslim Brotherhood ideology.”
Chikli also condemned the Qatari-funded satellite network Al Jazeera, calling it “the greatest PR engine of antisemitic ideology in the world,” and accusing it of promoting jihadist organizations across the Middle East. Israel recently banned the network from broadcasting domestically, citing its pro-Hamas coverage of the war in Gaza.
