The role of mediator that Qatar has cultivated for itself with great skill over the past decade has been revealed time and time again in the rounds of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, but now it has been exposed in full force.
The involvement of the Gulf principality reached a new high following the abduction of hundreds of Israeli civilians and soldiers at the start of the October 7 war imposed on the State of Israel by Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and their aides.
Kingfisher forces at Kibbutz Be'eri and rescue of kibbutz residents // Credit: IDF Spokesperson
The Qataris have given the Israelis a feeling over the years that it is impossible without them. Steadily and gradually, they created a system of dependency, positioning themselves as a convenient address for Jerusalem and Gaza whenever the situation in Gaza threatened to spiral out of control and deteriorate into escalation.
They were also the bridesmaids of the mechanism for transferring millions of dollars to Hamas every month and actually helped maintain the equation of "money for quiet," thereby upgrading their status to a special status.
The Qatari ambassador, Mohammed al-Emadi, left and entered the Erez crossing frequently, once transferring suitcases of money and once conveying messages between the Hamas leadership and the security leadership in Israel. Every time he managed to restore calm, Israelis breathed a sigh of relief and convinced themselves that the magic worked. The dollars with which Qatar padded Hamas went partly to needy families in Gaza, but also to maintaining Hamas rule in the Gaza Strip – politically and militarily.
Under the cover of Qatari money and temporary and fragile calms, Hamas continued to arm itself and consolidate its military buildup at sea, air and land, and in the end also to carry out the most significant and cruel terrorist attack Israel has known since its establishment.
Qatar were the bridesmaids of the mechanism for transferring millions of dollars to Hamas every month (illustration), photo: AFP
Qatar saw and knew. Its representatives were inside the Gaza Strip and spent quite a bit of time there. They sat face to face with Hamas leaders, heard firsthand what was happening, walked the streets and were aware of the mood in the organization and the public.
It cannot be said that she, too, was captive to the conception
It cannot be said that she, too, was captive to the concept that swept the military and political echelons in Israel. It knows the mentality, intentions and capabilities of Hamas and its leader in Gaza, and knows what he is capable of.
It expressed no reservations about the duplicitous moves of Hamas, which ostensibly maintained deceptive periods of calm in order to buy time in parallel with the path of military buildup, and thus became itself an accomplice in a dangerous game of deception.
Absurdly, Qatar is once again trying to prove to Israel and the United States its vitality and capabilities in the mediation mission for the release of the hostages held captive by Hamas. Israel is at a point where it cannot say no to any initiative or anyone who might assist it in advancing a possible deal, but in the long run it will not hurt to break away from dependence on Doha and wean itself off the deceptive "magic" while moving away from the "Qatar trap" and searching for other, less dangerous alternatives.
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