Reflecting intense anger and frustration at Qatar for its diplomatic and
financial support of Hamas, a senior diplomatic source on Wednesday
characterized the Persian Gulf state as a “bitter enemy of
Israel.”
“Qatar is an opportunistic regime,” which is one of the “most
problematic regimes” in the region, the source said. Without elaborating, the
source said Israel should be using some of the leverage it has with Qatar to
induce it to change its behavior.
The emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin
Khalifa Al Thani, visited Gaza last month, the first foreign leader to do so
since Hamas took power there in 2007. That move angered Jerusalem because it
gave Hamas strongly desired legitimacy.
This visit was followed by a
pledge from Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan to follow suit and visit
Gaza as well. Erdogan, according to another Israeli source, did not go ahead
with the move because of US President Barack Obama’s request that he not do
so.
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