Fmr PM Bennett: Qatar more dangerous to Israel than Iran

Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett alleged in an interview with Channel 12 on Saturday that Qatar poses a greater threat to Israel than Iran, arguing that while Tehran openly declares its hostility, Doha works behind the scenes to undermine Israel.

Bennett's remarks come as Israel continues to grapple with the fallout from the so-called "Qatargate" affair, in which several aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are accused of receiving money to promote Qatar's interests. Bennett has repeatedly called for Qatar to be officially designated an enemy state.

"With Iran, everyone knows that [it says], 'We'll destroy Israel,'" Bennett said. But Qatar, "funded the Nukhba terrorists of October 7 [2023]… Qatar operates Al Jazeera, which is the most poisonous cancer hurting us… Qatar reaches places of influence in American universities… And most importantly, [it has access] to the most sacred place for the security of Israel — that is the office of the prime minister of Israel."

Qatar has no diplomatic relations with Israel but maintains close ideological and financial ties with Hamas, which openly calls for Israel's destruction and the murder of Jews.

Bennett has previously described the Qatargate affair as "the most serious act of treason in Israeli history."

Israel does not classify Qatar as an enemy state, which Bennett said "works against us and poisons us from within," adding that "according to the law today, anybody can work for Qatar. You can be an agent for Qatar. The most dangerous enemy to Israel is not defined as an enemy."

He also claimed Qatar's efforts to buy influence extend beyond Israeli politics.

"There are research institutes in Israel, there are influencers in Israel, and maybe also officials in Israel who are on Qatar's payroll," Bennett asserted.

Bennett's comments echoed remarks he made on Monday at the Yediot Ahronot National Security Conference, hosted with the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), where he pledged to designate Qatar an enemy state if elected prime minister.

"The leaders of Qatar have a goal of eliminating Israel, period," Bennett told the conference.

"There are people who call it a 'complicated state' – it's not complicated; after October 7, nothing is complicated here. Qatar is an enemy…As prime minister, I will officially declare Qatar an enemy of the State of Israel."

During the conference, Bennett also described Qatar as "a violent antisemitic cancer that sends its metastases throughout the West, even into the office of the prime minister of Israel, with the aim of destroying Israel."

Qatar condemned Bennett's remarks last week in an official statement issued by its embassy in Washington.

Bennett recently launched the new political party Beyachad (Together) with Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and has become increasingly critical of Netanyahu's handling of the war against Iran and its regional terrorist proxies.

During the Channel 12 interview, Bennett called it his "life's mission" to replace the Netanyahu government, even if he would not serve as the country's next prime minister.

"The government should be diverse with a Zionist right, a Zionist left, religious Zionists, secular Zionists, whose common denominator is to make amends," he said.