US continued failure to curb Qatar over nationals in Hamas captivity - comment

Six Israeli hostages were murdered just a few days ago. They lived for almost 330 days in custody of Sinwar’s gangs of kidnappers, incinerators, and rapists who are led by messianic, antisemitic, and genocidal convictions. The hostages were reportedly executed mere days before IDF soldiers had the chance to rescue them.

Their families sounded their voices. They met with high-ranking decision-makers, spoke at conventions and rallies, inaugurated exhibits, posted their pictures everywhere, and brought the issue to the farthest corners of the earth. Unfortunately, none of that helped to bring back their loved ones alive.

It must be stated clearly that the blame for their murder and their kidnapping lies on the shoulders of Hamas and its militia, the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades. But blame and responsibility don’t always overlap. Every country is responsible for the lives and well-being of its citizens – or so the social contract in democracies goes.

The social contract in Israel has been broken. The failures and mistakes that led to the October 7 massacre as well as the broken management of civil affairs during the war will prompt lengthy discussions. But many of the hostages also held foreign citizenships, which leads to the question: could they have done more for their citizens?

The case of the USA

The Biden administration’s general stance on Middle Eastern affairs has not proven to be a source of regional stability. From the hasty and clumsy withdrawal from Afghanistan to the ill treatment of Saudi Arabia, and the attempts to appease the Islamic Republic, the administration has not acted in a way that preserved its allies. Instead, it emboldened its adversaries and alienated its regional partners, pushing them to search for other opportunities abroad.

One of the most striking issues is the US’s persistent ingratiation with Qatar. Doha is one of the main funders of Hamas’s extensive tunnel system, a key element to hide hostages and smuggle weapons; it is also a main instigator of feuds within the US. Today, almost 11 months since October 7, Qatar has failed to stand up to its duty and recognize its responsibility for the massacre and the hostages, essentially blaming Israel and the US for trusting the royal Al-Thani family regime in the first place.

Sitting front row at Haniyeh's funeral

Over 20 US citizens were kidnapped by Hamas on October 7 while the leaders of Hamas resided in Doha’s luxurious residencies. As previously reported by The Jerusalem Post, the Qatari Emir and his father sat in the first row at Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh’s funeral in Doha while Hersh Goldberg Polin and seven other US nationals were subject to agony and torture under Haniyeh’s subordinates.

So far, the US has failed to hold the custodians of Hamas accountable. There were no sanctions against Doha, the US lease of the Al Udeid base in Qatar was renewed, and the US keeps treating Doha, which provides safe asylum to the leaders of those who kidnapped its own citizens, as a precious ally instead of pointing to it as the terror greenhouse it is.

Seeing as the US opted not to send boots on the ground to fight Hamas and release its nationals held in captivity, nor to pressure the terrorist’s sponsors in any way, the question remains whether the United States of America even remembers its part in the social contract.

An estimated seven US citizens remain in the hands of Hamas. Despite the much-appreciated military and diplomatic aid to Israel, the current administration has failed time and time again in discerning friend from foe. Doha is yet another failure.

Let this be a call not only to US decision-makers but also to the families of the hostages: the current strategy is failing; the Qatari problem must be addressed and amplified.