This was the backdrop against which the war following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 mega-attack, which placed the two states in competition for influence in the Gaza Strip in general, and regarding mediation over the Israeli hostages in particular, with the main “client” being neither Israel nor the hostages, but the United States. Qatar’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Al Jazeera’s propaganda broadcasts, have not prevented the development of below-the-radar relations between the two states, which began during the 1990s and continued even after Qatar banished Israel’s ambassador in 2000, following the outbreak of the Second Intifada. The writer teaches in the Department of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, is a board member of Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies, and is a member of the Coalition for Regional Security.
Author: BY ELIE PODEH
Published at: 2025-04-09 22:08:01
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