Sniped at by both sides in election, Qatar remains an elusive target for Israel’s leaders

As Netanyahu and his allies accuse Qatar of interfering in the election to boost Arab voter turnout, Doha denies the allegations. The article examines how the Gulf emirate—a Hamas patron and Al Jazeera backer—has become a political football in Israeli campaigns, despite decades of quiet cooperation including Netanyahu's own approval of Qatari funds to Gaza.

As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that a foreign interference scheme had 'stolen' last month's election, and as his allies voiced suspicions that significant Qatari funds had been used to influence Arab voter turnout, Doha's Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari issued a defiant statement on October 29, categorically denying allegations of interference. The article examines how Israeli perceptions of Qatar—a patron of Hamas and leading purveyor of anti-Israel propaganda—featured heavily in public discourse during the election campaign. Both sides attempted to attach the 'stink' of Qatar to their opponents: Netanyahu accused Doha of meddling, while opposition leaders seized on the so-called Qatargate affair to accuse the premier of allowing paid Qatari agents into his office. The piece details Israeli grievances against Qatar, including its longstanding ties to Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood, its creation of the Al Jazeera network (banned by Israel in 2024), and its outsized financial influence in Washington and European capitals. It also notes that Jerusalem and Doha have decades of business, security, and intelligence cooperation, and that with Israel's quiet approval, Qatar funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into Gaza. The framing relies on a balanced presentation of accusations and denials, with the article noting that allegations about Qatari meddling in the election remain unsubstantiated.