The ongoing bloodshed in Gaza and the Israeli hostage crisis have persisted since October 7, 2023, the day on which Hamas unleashed a brutal and unprecedented attack.
In the latest attempt to bring an end to the conflict, US President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a press conference at the White House following their latest meeting last Monday to announce what has become known as “Trump’s peace plan.”
Both leaders praised the plan as “historic” and delivered an ultimatum to Hamas, warning of consequences if it rejected their 20-point ceasefire and hostage deal.
The proposal aims to end Gaza’s bloodshed, the agony of hostages in Palestinian captivity, and the suffering of their families, who have been at the forefront of the struggle.
The plan, welcomed by many members of the Arab League, would also facilitate the rebuilding of the war-devastated enclave with support from regional partners who would take part in governing post-Hamas Gaza during a transitional period.
Amid the optimism expressed by both leaders, with Trump describing the event as “one of the greatest days ever in civilization” and thanking Netanyahu for his “cooperation in promoting peace in the Middle East," it is safe to assume that such enthusiasm would have been impossible without several key factors.
Israel's political dynamics
Chief among them are the internal political dynamics of Israel’s ruling coalition, which have repeatedly hindered progress on similar proposals in the past. Far-right elements within the government have threatened to quit if the war ends.
This time, however, Netanyahu’s compliance has not stemmed from internal pressure but rather externally, driven by US and regional demands that Israel apologize to Qatar for its attempted targeted killing of senior Hamas officials in Doha in early September.
Alongside Egypt, Qatar has played a central role in mediating indirect negotiations between Israel and Hamas. When Israel launched an unprecedented attack on Qatari soil in an attempt to target senior Hamas officials in the Gulf monarchy, Doha announced its withdrawal from mediation efforts in response.
The Israeli attack, widely condemned internationally as a violation of international law and harshly criticized within Israel by Netanyahu’s political rivals and senior figures in the security establishment, further damaged Israel’s global standing and credibility, deepening its isolation and leaving Netanyahu politically exposed.
The Qataris, wealthy and experienced in wielding influence through diplomacy and propaganda, notably via Al Jazeera, responded harshly, accusing Israel of violating their sovereignty and threatening retaliation for what they described as “an attack on their territory.”
It remains unclear whether the main motive behind the Israeli attack was political or professional. However, it is reasonable to assume that if the incident had not been politically convenient for Netanyahu, he would likely not have apologized to the Qatari prime minister, as reportedly occurred during a three-way call with Doha and Washington. Nor would he have embraced a plan to end the war and sign a hostage deal.
The decision to offer an apology, to the principal sponsor not only of Hamas but of political Islam across the region, is telling. That same supremacist and imperialist ideology has for decades fueled bloodshed, targeted minorities, and perpetuated endless wars throughout the Middle East.
Netanyahu strengthened Hamas
Yet despite Qatar’s well-known record, Netanyahu’s relationship with the Gulf monarchy is not new. It dates back at least to 2014, when, as part of his policy to weaken the Palestinian Authority and strengthen Hamas, Netanyahu facilitated the transfer of Qatari cash to Gaza. That money ultimately enabled the terror and atrocities Hamas unleashed on innocent Israeli civilians and communities on October 7.
Nonetheless, the announcement of this peace plan, which appears to politically benefit Netanyahu at a time when his government faces possible collapse, likely would not have been possible without his compliance with Qatar’s demand for an apology.
The audacity of Qatar’s demand that Israel apologize for its attack, without offering its own apology for its central role in the rise and empowerment of a regime that has terrorized millions of Palestinians and violated Israeli sovereignty through the October 7 massacre, raises serious questions.
It exposes not only the hypocrisy of the international community but also the moral erosion of the current Israeli premier, who has repeatedly demonstrated that his political survival outweighs Israel’s national interests.
From his willingness to funnel billions in Qatari cash to Hamas, to the “QatarGate” scandal, which raises allegations of treason within the Prime Minister’s Office, Netanyahu’s government, the most right-wing in Israel’s history, has failed to advance Israel’s core objectives.
It has neither prevented the growing momentum toward a two-state solution, now being recognized internationally over Israel’s objections, nor protected its citizens, violating one of Israel’s fundamental principles: never leaving our own behind.
Through corruption, cynicism, and moral compromise, this government has only strengthened the regional and global standing of the wealthiest sponsor of terrorism and instability in the world.
While it is crucial to hold Israel to basic human and international norms, it is equally essential to restrain the Qatari regime for its unforgivable role in fueling the ongoing bloodshed of both Palestinians and Israelis. Political Islam, a dangerous ideology that uses religion to justify violence, seize power, and persecute minorities, poses not only a threat to Israel but also to global peace and stability. Its main victims are Muslims, and its primary sponsor is not Tehran, Damascus, or Kabul, but Doha.
The State of Qatar, whose hands are stained with blood, the same crimson color reflected in its flag, must finally be held accountable for its crimes. Not only for the sake of Israel or Western interests, but for the sake of the long-awaited global peace that the Trump peace plan claims to seek.
A state cannot be allowed to host and protect representatives of the world’s most brutal regimes, including the Taliban, and simultaneously claim to be the Mother Teresa of the world.
Eden Barzoabi is a freelance writer, speaker, and political and geopolitical commentator. She’s a student of Government and Sustainability at Reichman University in Herzliya. During the Bennett-Lapid government, she worked as an advisor to government MPs. As an Arab Israeli queer activist, Eden was part of creating the first-ever professional Arab LGBTQ forum in the Knesset to promote the rights and needs of the country’s Arab LGBTQ community. She was also an Independent LGBTQ reporter for Ynet, worked in media, and was a recurring panelist on mainstream Israeli channels.