As in war so in life. I am not so sanguine about the West, including the US, coming to reevaluate its relationship with Qatar, but no matter. Israel has once again taken the offensive and shown all its enemies, especially the pathetic and hypocritical Arab Muslim world, that it will no longer tolerate shibboleths instead of firm action when it comes to peace and security. Hamas will be the first to fall, but the PA is surely in Israel's sights next. And those who cling to the Abraham Accords will have to show that they are worth something to Israel other than platitudes and betrayal. Let us not forget Spain and the EU whose reaction has been as antisemitic as that of their forefathers. Nothing but decline awaits them.
I simply do not understand why Trump signed a deal with these two faced lunatics! Well done Israel, they were hiding and you took the fight to them. They have been exposed! Qatar can’t be the negotiator and the shelterer of the terrorists.
I also thought Trump's decision defied logic. We've known for years that Qatar supplied universities with billions to establish "Middle East Studies" departments which served as propaganda machines, staffed with terrorist sympathizers. Israel outed them and crushed them.
“Far from "killing any hope," the strike likely reinforced to Hamas that their best — and only - move is to preserve hostages as negotiating currency.”
Amen, Joshua; Israel must call their posturing bluff!
Assuming the leadership of Hamas survived and is not lying comatose in a hospital, what excuse do they have for not accepting Trump’s latest terms for ending the war?
Excellent piece, but I would like to put in my two cents regarding this paragraph: "The strike also complicates U.S. diplomacy. Washington has relied on Qatar as a go-between with Hamas, outsourcing the delicate task of mediation to a state that openly shelters the very actors obstructing peace. By hitting Hamas in Doha, Israel exposed the contradictions in the American strategy and put pressure on the U.S. to reassess whether Doha can truly be trusted as an honest broker."
I've noted on this before, but I'll note it again: Of course Trump and his team know ALL and EVERYTHING about the Qatar problem and they have all along; important conservative mouthpieces have even been talking more and more about Qatar in the media, preparing the slow but inevitable exposure of Qatar. Here is part of the problem, for now: International (highly corrupt) banking is Qatar's biggest industry, aside from oil. To disrupt Qatar right now as the New Middle East is forming and force an economic disaster not only in the Middle East, but also Russia, China, Europe and probably in America as well. Considering the fragile state of relations around the world, that would cause a (secret from the public) diplomatic disaster. It would escalate tensions all over the world.
Trump has to pretend he doesn't know what Israel is up to, as does everyone involved in the political theater of "condemning" Israel for the bombing. Also notice that Trump hasn't really come down on Israel about the attempt, which also signals to the world that he's helping to make Israel independent (that is soooo awesome) and that Israel will be the Protector of the New Middle East AS WELL AS the Enforcer and Punish-er.
And keep in mind--Saudi Arabia detests Qatar for all the right reasons, and refuses to do business with them. Saudi Arabia is the second most important player in the New Middle East, by far (Israel is the first most important).
The bottom line is this: Terrorist groups in the Middle East will no longer be allowed, period. Qatar (like Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, et al), is going to have to get with the program or risk being left out (economically catastrophic) or bombed.
Qatar will be compelled to stop funding terrorism, stop funding universities and even K-12 schools in the West to set up their antisemitic, anti-Western, jihadist "Muslim Studies" departments, and stop any and all subversive efforts to promote radical Islamist ideology.
The Big Hoax of the "Palestinian" cause is going to die and the absolutely massive, global monetary corruption and money laundering that has enriched "supporters" of the hoax will end. Qatar will be compelled to put all that money toward investments in the New Middle East. And while we're at it--let's confiscate all those tens of billions of dollars from the Hamas leaders in Qatar and hand it over to Israel to make good use of (more likely, though, it will go in the pockets of Arab leaders who are supporting the New Middle East. Corrupt money always moves around in the underground world of the corrupt.
Some interesting comments to this essay, but I am not so sanguine. Israel failed in its objective to end the hamas hierarchy in Qatar. This was an achievable goal that was not met. I guess turning a lemon into lemonade does have a positive side. I've always felt that Netanyahu's stated goal of destroying hamas set the bar too high, and too many IDF soldiers and hostages have paid the price. A more realistic goal would have been to neutralize hamas by weakening it, thus preventing another October 7th. Israel has met those goals.
There must be some game player's terminology for increasing the value of a hostage. Qatari proclamations are fatuous and out of touch with new reality. The kimono of ambiguity has been removed from Qatari double-dealers. The entitlement of special interlocutor has vanished.
None of the Hamas leaders targeted in the strike appeared at the funeral; there was a Hamas official who flew in from Lebanon and one who is based in Doha but was not at the meeting.
Khalil al-Hayya, the top Hamas leader, was not seen although his son was one of the six dead being buried.
‘Doha has styled itself as a neutral mediator’ .. which it clearly is not, and those who believed that fable need to wake up to reality.
With Qatar having close links to Iran, and in its funding of the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organisation banned in many Arab countries, I would have thought that Qatar is the ‘black sheep of the family’ in the Gulf region, even with all its riches. Surely it has to play a very careful game, because it is now fully in focus in Israel’s military eyepiece.
As in war so in life. I am not so sanguine about the West, including the US, coming to reevaluate its relationship with Qatar, but no matter. Israel has once again taken the offensive and shown all its enemies, especially the pathetic and hypocritical Arab Muslim world, that it will no longer tolerate shibboleths instead of firm action when it comes to peace and security. Hamas will be the first to fall, but the PA is surely in Israel's sights next. And those who cling to the Abraham Accords will have to show that they are worth something to Israel other than platitudes and betrayal. Let us not forget Spain and the EU whose reaction has been as antisemitic as that of their forefathers. Nothing but decline awaits them.
I simply do not understand why Trump signed a deal with these two faced lunatics! Well done Israel, they were hiding and you took the fight to them. They have been exposed! Qatar can’t be the negotiator and the shelterer of the terrorists.
I also thought Trump's decision defied logic. We've known for years that Qatar supplied universities with billions to establish "Middle East Studies" departments which served as propaganda machines, staffed with terrorist sympathizers. Israel outed them and crushed them.
Yes, that's the thing... (the list is too long, already.)
Hard to feel a great deal of sympathy Qatar. You harbor enemies in wartime, you make yourself a target.
As long as Qatar thinks it can play Trump for a sucker Israel will send its own message that those days are over
“This reputational cost is not trivial, especially in Washington, London, and Brussels, where patience for double-dealing is wearing thin.”
Well, it may well be in Washington these days, but I highly doubt the leopard has changed his spots in London or Brussels…
Its "people"? Qatar has about 200,000 people and 9 millions foreign laborers.
“Far from "killing any hope," the strike likely reinforced to Hamas that their best — and only - move is to preserve hostages as negotiating currency.”
Amen, Joshua; Israel must call their posturing bluff!
Am Israel Chai!
Assuming the leadership of Hamas survived and is not lying comatose in a hospital, what excuse do they have for not accepting Trump’s latest terms for ending the war?
At this point, Hamas' main goal is probably to kidnap more Israelis. I hope the latter stay vigilant.
Excellent piece, but I would like to put in my two cents regarding this paragraph: "The strike also complicates U.S. diplomacy. Washington has relied on Qatar as a go-between with Hamas, outsourcing the delicate task of mediation to a state that openly shelters the very actors obstructing peace. By hitting Hamas in Doha, Israel exposed the contradictions in the American strategy and put pressure on the U.S. to reassess whether Doha can truly be trusted as an honest broker."
I've noted on this before, but I'll note it again: Of course Trump and his team know ALL and EVERYTHING about the Qatar problem and they have all along; important conservative mouthpieces have even been talking more and more about Qatar in the media, preparing the slow but inevitable exposure of Qatar. Here is part of the problem, for now: International (highly corrupt) banking is Qatar's biggest industry, aside from oil. To disrupt Qatar right now as the New Middle East is forming and force an economic disaster not only in the Middle East, but also Russia, China, Europe and probably in America as well. Considering the fragile state of relations around the world, that would cause a (secret from the public) diplomatic disaster. It would escalate tensions all over the world.
Trump has to pretend he doesn't know what Israel is up to, as does everyone involved in the political theater of "condemning" Israel for the bombing. Also notice that Trump hasn't really come down on Israel about the attempt, which also signals to the world that he's helping to make Israel independent (that is soooo awesome) and that Israel will be the Protector of the New Middle East AS WELL AS the Enforcer and Punish-er.
And keep in mind--Saudi Arabia detests Qatar for all the right reasons, and refuses to do business with them. Saudi Arabia is the second most important player in the New Middle East, by far (Israel is the first most important).
The bottom line is this: Terrorist groups in the Middle East will no longer be allowed, period. Qatar (like Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, et al), is going to have to get with the program or risk being left out (economically catastrophic) or bombed.
Qatar will be compelled to stop funding terrorism, stop funding universities and even K-12 schools in the West to set up their antisemitic, anti-Western, jihadist "Muslim Studies" departments, and stop any and all subversive efforts to promote radical Islamist ideology.
The Big Hoax of the "Palestinian" cause is going to die and the absolutely massive, global monetary corruption and money laundering that has enriched "supporters" of the hoax will end. Qatar will be compelled to put all that money toward investments in the New Middle East. And while we're at it--let's confiscate all those tens of billions of dollars from the Hamas leaders in Qatar and hand it over to Israel to make good use of (more likely, though, it will go in the pockets of Arab leaders who are supporting the New Middle East. Corrupt money always moves around in the underground world of the corrupt.
From your lips to God's ear!
This article gives us the sizzle AND the steak! Thank you!
Some interesting comments to this essay, but I am not so sanguine. Israel failed in its objective to end the hamas hierarchy in Qatar. This was an achievable goal that was not met. I guess turning a lemon into lemonade does have a positive side. I've always felt that Netanyahu's stated goal of destroying hamas set the bar too high, and too many IDF soldiers and hostages have paid the price. A more realistic goal would have been to neutralize hamas by weakening it, thus preventing another October 7th. Israel has met those goals.
There must be some game player's terminology for increasing the value of a hostage. Qatari proclamations are fatuous and out of touch with new reality. The kimono of ambiguity has been removed from Qatari double-dealers. The entitlement of special interlocutor has vanished.
None of the Hamas leaders targeted in the strike appeared at the funeral; there was a Hamas official who flew in from Lebanon and one who is based in Doha but was not at the meeting.
Khalil al-Hayya, the top Hamas leader, was not seen although his son was one of the six dead being buried.
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/syyncugjle
‘Doha has styled itself as a neutral mediator’ .. which it clearly is not, and those who believed that fable need to wake up to reality.
With Qatar having close links to Iran, and in its funding of the Muslim Brotherhood, a terrorist organisation banned in many Arab countries, I would have thought that Qatar is the ‘black sheep of the family’ in the Gulf region, even with all its riches. Surely it has to play a very careful game, because it is now fully in focus in Israel’s military eyepiece.