Qatar

We need to get Qatar out of American classrooms

An investigation reveals how Qatar’s education arm funded US schools, influenced curricula, and evaded foreign-agent oversight.

Children in an American classroom reciting the Pledge of Allegiance”
The weekly news roundup with Jacob Laznik, host of The Deep Dive.

Can Israel trust Trump's Gaza board on border security?

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at a 40 signatures debate, at the plenum hall of the Knesset, the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem, on January 19, 2026.

Why Israel says joining Trump’s Board of Peace was not optional - analysis

 A Hamas terrorist in the Gaza Strip. February 4, 2025.

Senior Hamas officials planning 'safe exit' from Gaza Strip, Saudi media outlet reports


Israel must take opportunity to open ties with Lebanon, Syria to confront Hezbollah - editorial

The two adversaries are signaling openness to a different relationship with Israel, and it is imperative that Jerusalem grasp the opportunity with both hands.

A Hezbollah supporter holds a Palestinian flag and a cutout image of late Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah at a ceremony held by Hezbollah to commemorate the first anniversary of Nasrallah's killing by Israel, on the outskirts of Beirut, Lebanon, September 27, 2025.

Eastern Libya halts cooperation with UN after Qatar-UNDP pact

Officials in eastern Libya expressed concern, calling the move an “entirely unacceptable” breach of diplomatic protocol.

Libya's President of the Presidential Council Mohammed al-Menfi addresses the 80th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York, U.S., September 25, 2025.

America’s Middle East commitments must come with clear reciprocity - opinion

If Trump’s goal is lasting stability, he must address his longstanding blind spot toward the Islamist leaderships of Qatar and Turkey.

A SYRIAN flag is displayed outside the White House after the meeting of US President Donald Trump and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa last week. November is shaping up as a holiday season for Arab governments, says the writer.

Israel pushing for Saudi peace deal, but MBS puts Trump and America first - analysis

The real question is not only whether Israel wants normalization with Saudi Arabia - but how far Trump is willing to press both sides to achieve it.

US President Donald Trump and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman speak as they arrive during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Leaders’ Summit at The Ritz-Carlton on May 14, 2025 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Congo, M23 rebels agree to framework pact backed by US and Qatar

It was the latest document signed in recent months as part of efforts, backed by the US and Qatar, to end decades of fighting in Congo, which has been an enduring threat to regional stability.

Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi's high representative Sumbu Sita Mambu and head of the M23 rebel group delegation Benjamin Mbonimpa sign a framework agreement for a peace deal aimed at ending fighting in eastern Congo, during a ceremony in Doha, Qatar, November 15, 2025.

Indonesia says its Gaza peacekeepers would focus on health, infrastructure tasks

Long an advocate of a two-state solution, Indonesia has often condemned Israel's violence in Gaza and sent humanitarian aid. Indonesia has no diplomatic relations with Israel.

A Palestinian man repairs a tent on a rainy day, during a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Gaza City, November 14, 2025.

Defense guarantees must be enshrined in treaty as Riyadh ties deal to Palestinian state - opinion

Saudi negotiators push for a Senate-approved pact with Washington while insisting that any path to normalization with Israel depends on concrete steps toward a Palestinian state.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman meets Emir Of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani ahead of an emergency Arab-Islamic leaders' summit convened to discuss the September 9 Israeli attack on Hamas on Qatari territory, in Doha, Qatar, September 15, 2025.

Former Israeli prime minister Bennett warns foreign Gaza control would endanger Israel's security

Bennett criticized the potential involvement of Qatar and Turkey, referring to such a move as the Oslo Accords on steroids.

Former prime minister Naftali Bennett and Foreign Minister Yair Lapid hold a joint press conference at the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem on June 20, 2022.

UAE concerned over influence of Turkish, Qatari 'Hamas-enablers' in Gaza plan

'The UAE has not yet seen a clear framework for the stabilization force, and under such circumstances, it is unlikely to participate,' said Anwar Gargash, the UAE Presidential Advisor.

Turkish charities operating in the southern Gaza Strip, October 23, 2025

Trump’s Middle East blind spots: Wishful thinking on jihadists, Muslim Brotherhood - opinion

Until Washington recognizes that ideology, not economics, drives the Middle East, its diplomacy will remain blind to the forces shaping the region.

SYRIA’S PRESIDENT Ahmed al-Sharaa greets supporters after meeting with US President Donald Trump at the White House on November 10, 2025.