A Moment Before It's Too Late: A Message To The Families Of The Hostages

The Israeli national ethos demands the release of the hostages – and there is a way to bring them back. This approach has a higher chance of success than the policy currently adopted by the Israeli government. It is also more effective and safer than military pressure, which could endanger both the hostages and the forces trying to rescue them.

The way forward – perhaps the only way – is to apply massive pressure on Qatar instead of negotiating with it.

Most Israelis are unaware of Qatar's role in the holding, the torture and the murder of hostages. For the majority of Israelis, Hamas is the one holding the hostages, while Qatar is the neutral mediator assisting in their release. This is also what the Israeli government is communicating to the public in order to justify its policy of cooperating with Qatar. But in actual fact, Qatar is Hamas, and Hamas is Qatar. Qatar holds the key to the release of the hostages – as will be clarified below.

The Purpose Of This Article

This article is addressed to the families of the hostages, to the Israeli public and to the Israeli government—which has not taken the necessary steps to secure the release of the hostages. Some of the families may feel offended by the content of this article, and I ask their forgiveness in advance. In the absence of effective action by the Israeli government, the families are obviously doing everything they can, and this article is not meant to discourage them or to detract from the value of their efforts so far. However, they need to recognize the truth, for only this will help them to advance the return of their loved ones, who are also our loved ones.

This article will outline exactly what needs to be done to secure the release of the hostages – or at least to remove the conditions set by Hamas and supported by Qatar, which are currently preventing a deal.

What Is Qatar, And Why Must It Be Pressured?

Qatar is an enemy state, which is responsible for building up Hamas by providing it with billions of dollars over the past decade. It acts against the State of Israel in every international forum, and has served for years as a base for Hamas' leadership. Qatar employs its antisemitic propaganda arm against Israel, namely  Al-Jazeera, owned by the Qatari government, which also provides Hamas with operational intelligence on a daily basis and serves as a main platform for this organization's propaganda and for its psychological warfare – including psychological terror videos targeting the families of the hostages. Tragically, what is common knowledge for every vegetable vendor, taxi driver, and popular blogger in the Arab and Muslim world regarding the true face of Qatar – that it is the foremost state sponsor of Islamist terrorism – escapes the intelligence organizations of both the U.S. and Israel. This is why there is a need to bring this information to media, academia, and legislatures, as well as to the public at large.

The Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani, receives Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh at his residence in Doha, 2019

How Is It That, For Years, Almost No One In Israel Or The U.S. Heard About Qatar's Role In Building Up Hamas?

The entire political system in Israel, along with most Israeli media, academics and security and intelligence bodies – such as the Military Intelligence Directorate, the Shin Bet and the Mossad – have displayed shocking ignorance over the years by failing to recognize Qatar as the world's foremost promoter of Islamist terrorism. They have even cooperated with it on various levels. The most egregious form of cooperation was the Mossad's transfer of Qatari funds to Hamas-controlled Gaza – based on the policies of Israeli governments. This cooperation is the primary reason why Qatar is perceived by the Israeli public as a "mediator" rather than as an enemy state, as it should be perceived.

In his entire UN speech on September 27, 2024, Prime Minister Netanyahu did not mention Qatar or its funding and political support for the October 7 massacre even once. Just a few days ago, Sheikha Moza bint Nasser – the mother of the Qatari Emir and the most powerful woman in the Qatari regime – published an emotional post in which she mourned the killing of Hamas' leader and architect of the October 7 massacre, Yahya Sinwar. Speaking in Islamic terms, she wrote that "he will live on and they [the Israelis] will be gone." The post was accompanied by an audio recording of a Quranic verse that is known to be used as a jihadi battle cry: "Never think of those martyred in the cause of Allah as dead. In fact, they are alive by their Lord, well provided for [3:169]."[1] All while her son, the Emir, presents himself to the world as an unbiased "mediator" in the hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Very few Israeli media outlets, and no official in the Israeli government, found it necessary to inform the Israeli public about this Islamic-based incitement, which has critical implications for Qatar's participation in negotiations as a "mediator" regarding the fate of the hostages. 

The Israeli government, and other elements that were involved for years in whitewashing Qatar, are now hiding this country's true character from the Israeli public and avoiding effective action against it. The Israeli government continues the fruitless negotiations, thereby lending legitimacy and immunity to the funding of terror and to the financiers themselves.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog shakes hands with the Qatari Emir at the December 1, 2023 UN summit in Dubai

Didn't Qatar Assist In The Release Of Hostages In The Previous Deal?

The answer is no. In the deal "brokered" by Qatar, this country represented the interests of Hamas while Israel's interests were represented by the U.S. As a result, both deals had relatively limited outcomes. Today, renewing the negotiations with Qatar is just a fig leaf to cover up the Israeli government's inaction and its failure to take effective steps in the necessary direction, namely, exerting massive pressure on Qatar instead of negotiating with it.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with the Qatari Emir in Doha on October 26, 2023 to discuss the release of Israeli hostages

Why Does The Israeli Government Refuse To Exert Pressure On Qatar?

The Israeli government refuses to do so because its officials are held hostage by Qatar. If they  expose Qatar, this country will expose their own collaboration in funding the buildup of Hamas for over a decade, which occurred with their knowledge and their practical facilitation, funding that paid for 500 kilometers of tunnels, tens of thousands of militants, thousands of missiles and rockets, and vast amounts of ammunition.

In fact, Qatar has already exposed an Israeli official in this manner: When former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen stated in the media that cooperating with Qatar in transferring funds to Hamas-controlled Gaza had been a mistake (thus effectively labeling Qatar as a state sponsor of terrorism), Qatar hastened to leak a letter of appreciation that Cohen himself had sent to the Qatari leadership, in which he thanked them for their contribution to "security and stability" in the region.[2] Prime Minister Netanyahu, responsible for shaping this policy toward Qatar, fears a similar exposure of his collaboration, or even a worse one.

What Could The Israeli Government Do For The Hostages That It Is Not Doing?

• The first step is to acknowledge that Qatar is the enemy of Israel (as well as of the West) and to publicize this fact via every possible media and diplomatic channel. Hamas and Qatar are one and the same, and the Israeli government must stop misleading the Israeli public and the hostages' families by describing Qatar as a "mediator."

• Sever all ties with this enemy state. There are many other elements – both Arab and non-Arab – that can serve as intermediaries in its place, such as Egypt, the UAE, and others.

• Instead of its policy of pleading with Qatar—which elevates this country from a terror-sponsoring state to a legitimate mediator with international standing—the Israeli government must act against Qatar through all possible channels, just as it does with other enemy states.

• The Israeli government must make it clear to Qatar in international forums and through official channels that Israel holds it primarily responsible for the fate of the hostages, and that the death of additional hostages will have severe repercussions for Qatar's very survival.

• Once the Israeli government changes its stance on Qatar and recognizes it as an enemy, it can employ additional tools it has at its disposal, which have been successfully employed against other enemies. These tools include economic pressure, legal warfare, and even offensive cyber operations.

• Additionally, the Prime Minister must uphold his commitment to the Israeli public to eliminate the entire Hamas leadership wherever it may be, and—as he and everyone else  knows very well—the Hamas leadership has for years been based in Qatar.

Why Would Qatar Respond To Pressure And Cause Hamas To Release The Hostages?

• First, because such pressures would put Qatar's very existence at risk. Qatar has 200,000 citizens and about two million foreign workers who have come there to make money. Once it becomes clear to these workers that their livelihood is at risk, they will quickly migrate to other Gulf states, with severe implications for Qatar. The collapse of just one of Qatar's main banks would pull the entire emirate into an existential vortex.

• Second, Qatar's existence is crucially dependent on its image in the West—an image it has cultivated over the years by investing hundreds of billions of dollars in academia, politics, sports and media in the U.S. and Europe. By means of these massive financial investments, Qatar has managed to make the West forget even its responsibility for the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C.[3] Any exposure of Qatar's true face – as the patron of Hamas, which has slaughtered children, women and the elderly, and which is holding an Israeli baby as a bargaining chip to this very day – would cause significant reputational damage that would translate directly into economic harm with existential implications.

• Third, the presence of the U.S. CENTCOM base in Qatar is crucial for this country's very survival. Without it, Qatar's enemies-neighbors would occupy it. Recall that in 2017, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt declared a total boycott of Qatar, in an attempt to topple the regime of the Aal Thani family due to its support and funding of various jihadist terror organizations, including Hamas and Hizbullah. The U.S. rushed to Qatar's rescue and removed the Arab threat against it. An American threat, or even the hint of a threat, to relocate CENTCOM to a neighboring country would lead to the release of the hostages.

The Qatari Emir with U.S. General Jeffrey Harrigian at the U.S. Air Force base in Al-Udeid

Why Would Hamas Respond To Qatari Demands To Release The Hostages?

Qatar is Hamas' lifeline. It is the organization's future and its means of recovery, and is therefore essential for Hamas' survival. Without Qatar Hamas is dead. Hamas is entirely dependent on Qatar, politically and economically. It is Qatar that transformed Hamas from a local extremist Islamist terror organization into a regional power with influence in the West (evidenced by the pro-Hamas demonstrations in the U.S.). Qatar is Hamas, and Hamas is Qatar. Therefore, Hamas sees its continued relationship with Qatar as an existential interest and will be compelled to respond to its demands.

The Position Of The U.S.

The U.S. administration's stance on applying pressure to Qatar is important, even if it is not decisive. This administration will undoubtedly oppose such pressure. Despite the fact that some of the hostages are American nationals, and although the U.S. has suffered greatly from Qatar's support of global Islamist terrorism, the U.S. is striving to whitewash Qatar's crimes. Over the past three decades, U.S. administrations have sought to downplay Qatar's role in 9/11 and in other terrorist attacks. The current U.S. administration has even granted Qatar the status of a non-NATO ally, and this August the CIA shockingly awarded the head of Qatari intelligence with a medal, despite Qatar's terrorist, media and political activities against the U.S. (Notably, Qatar has supported the Taliban for years, and that just three years ago it actively aided this organization during a violent coup against the elected pro-Western Afghan government, a coup that resulted in the deaths of 13 American soldiers).

Some may question Israel's ability to change this long-standing U.S. policy. However, in the American democratic system – much more than in Israel – public opinion carries significant weight and can influence Congress, especially through lobbying organizations. The U.S. has a multitude of lobby groups concerned with various issues: economic, social, political, security-related, cultural, and more. Israel too has a lobby that is considered to be very influential. Qatar itself engages in various lobbying and other efforts to combat Israel, promote the interests of Islamist Palestinian elements, advance antisemitism, and exert economic, media, and academic influence on the American public and on Congress. According to Associated Press and Fox News reports, Qatar hired a former CIA official, Kevin Chalker, and his company, Global Research Associates, to spy on U.S. legislators—Senators and a former Congressman—in order to prevent legislation they had initiated against the Muslim Brotherhood, which is Hamas's parent organization.[4]

The families of the hostages have the power to act in the U.S. Congress and among the American public through means to be detailed below, and thereby influence the current position of the U.S. administration. Exposing Qatar's crimes could stimulate prominent Congressmembers from both parties to pressure the administration to reassess U.S.-Qatar relations, and might even prompt the administration to threaten the relocation of CENTCOM from Qatar to a neighboring country. Saudi Arabia and the UAE would be willing to host the base. In fact, they have expressed interest in doing so in the past, but the U.S. declined. Such a move would create significant pressure on Qatar to facilitate the release of the hostages in order to prevent the relocation of the CENTCOM base from its territory.

In Light Of The Israeli Government's Inaction, What Can The Families Of The Hostages Do?

The following are only some of the essential measures that can be taken immediately:

• In the absence of action by the Israeli Foreign Ministry and by pro-Israel lobby groups in the U.S., a dedicated organization should be established, to focus solely on exposing Qatar and pressuring it directly and indirectly. This organization can organize protests against Qatar in front of U.S. embassies in Israel and abroad, as well as protests outside Qatari embassies in the West. As a universal humanitarian issue, the cause of freeing the hostages is likely to gain sweeping support from across the political spectrum in the U.S., and many volunteers are likely to step up and assist in various ways. Additionally, the Israeli struggle for the release of the hostages is likely to resonate with the families of the victims of the 9/11 attacks, who undoubtedly long to see Qatar held accountable for its involvement in these attacks.

• In the absence of action from the Israeli Justice Ministry, a team of lawyers should be assembled to conduct legal warfare against Qatar in Western courts, exposing and proving Qatar's responsibility for the October 7 massacre and its role in the holding, torture and murder of hostages.

• In the absence of action from the Mossad and Israel's Computer Service Directorate, foreign professionals can be hired to exert economic pressure on Qatar in various ways.

Demonstration of hostage families: Additional initiatives are sorely needed to bring about change

What Is The Danger Of Inaction By The Israeli Government Against Qatar?

If the Israeli government fails to exercise its power as a sovereign state by taking aggressive action against Qatar in various ways, it may find itself in a situation where some of the hostage families enlist private entities capable of acting where the Israeli government has failed. In such a case, the Israeli government will lose its monopoly on employing these drastic measures (economic pressure and offensive cyber action).

Conclusion

This appeal to the families of the hostages is based on a deep understanding of the American scene and on 25 years of activity in the U.S. The hostages' families wield much more power than they realize, which can be translated into effective action that will yield substantial positive results. Their human, moral, and just struggle – which is the struggle of the entire Israeli public – will deeply embarrass the Israeli government and compel it to take responsibility for the matter, to take effective steps in the right direction, and to disregard personal and irrelevant considerations, such as the fear that their responsibility for the October 7 disaster will be exposed.

The families of the hostages are undoubtedly doing everything humanly possible to secure the release of their loved ones. However, beyond the weekly demonstrations, there is a need for additional initiatives that can bring about change. At this stage, there is no other way.

 

* Yigal Carmon is the founder and president of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI). Col. Carmon served as a counter-terrorism advisor to Israeli Prime Ministers Yitzhak Shamir and Yitzhak Rabin.