PRESS RELEASE: EMET Welcomes Senate Review of the U.S.-Qatar Relationship

Press Release

July 9, 2024

Contact: Sarah Stern

(202) 601-7422

EMET Welcomes Senate Review of the U.S.-Qatar Relationship

EMET welcomes the announcement today by Senate Armed Services Committee Chair, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Ranking Member Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MS), on the filing of S. 4638 – The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025.

This legislation, while including all the necessary provisions crucial to maintaining defense cooperation between the United States and Israel, includes a new section relating to the relationship between the United States and Qatar, a state-enabler of Hamas. Under Sec. 1287 in the bill, the Secretary of Defense will be required to “report and brief on the operational value of the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, taking into consideration the relationship of the Government of Qatar with Hamas and other terrorist organizations.” Among other things, the secretary will need to assess “whether the relationship of the Government of Qatar with United States-designated terrorist organizations undermines the national security interests of the United States.”

For years, Qatar has provided a safe haven for Hamas masterminds, who live and operate in lavish Doha hotels. Qatar has enabled the masterminds of Hamas, including Ismail Haniya, Mousa Abu Marzouk, and Khaled Mashal, not just to carry out fundraising operations for the terrorist organization from within the country, but to play an active role in planning Hamas’ attack against Israeli civilians on October 7^th. While Qatar has been claiming that its ties to Hamas allows it to play the role of mediator, aimed at achieving a hostage release deal, these promises have not been delivered on. Qatar’s policy and actions have time and time again shown to undermine the national security interests of the United States and of her allies.

Qatar has in the past also supported other terrorist organizations such as Jabat Al Nusra, Al Qaeda and the Taliban.

Additionally, Qatar has been at the forefront of the information war against Israel through its state run media Al Jazeera, which has served as Hamas propaganda. In the past, Al Jazeera has produced blood libels against Israel, hired active members of Hamas as journalists and glorified the Oct. 7^th massacre.

EMET will continue to monitor this most welcome development, and work to ensure that a reevaluation of the U.S.-Qatar relationship is included in the NDAA’s final version and enacted into law.