Accusations of Qatar's terror-funding and influence hold little evidence
While Doha holds sway in Islamist movements, it has consistently rejected nefarious intentions, pointing to its role as a mediator and US defense partner.
For years, Qatar has been accused of supporting Hamas, the Muslim Brotherhood, and Iran, and using Al Jazeera and American universities to disseminate its message. Despite its influence among Islamist groups, Qatar has consistently denied any malevolent intentions, highlighting its role as a mediator and US defense ally. However, these allegations are frequently leveraged as political tools in the United States and Israel ahead of important elections within the next two months.
Some Israelis, in particular, have alleged that Qatari funding facilitated Hamas' October 7 terror attack. Yet, these accusations lack substantial evidence. A recent investigation by Time magazine revealed secret correspondence demonstrating that Israel had encouraged and organized nearly $2 billion in Qatari transfers to Gaza over a span of over a decade.
In a 2020 letter, Mossad's then-director commended Doha's humanitarian endeavors as "ensuring stability and safety in the region." The claim that Qatar utilizes university funding to promote antisemitism has also been disproven by a former US ambassador to Qatar who is associated with Georgetown University, which maintains a branch in Doha.
He pointed out that 97% of the $6.25 billion Qatar has provided to American universities since 2001 was distributed to just six institutions, all of which have campuses within the country.
Written by urgent.news from Semafor's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
