Qatar hits back at Netanyahu, defends ‘critical’ role in region after PM blasted nation in UN address

A senior Qatari diplomat hits back at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after the Israeli premier used his UN General Assembly address to blast Qatar for hosting Hamas and spreading disinformation against the Jewish state.

“Speaking to a half-empty room during his UN remarks says plenty about the support for this message,” Qatari deputy ambassador to the US Hamad al-Maftuh writes in a post on X. “Blaming Qatar for a political failures does not change the facts.”

“Qatar’s reported funding of American universities has overwhelmingly supported the operation of US university campuses in Education City (in Doha), bringing American higher education to the Middle East. Those universities maintain academic responsibility for their programs; Qatar does not dictate what happens on their US campuses,” he says

Netanyahu had claimed during his speech that Qatar has worked to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel” massively funding American universities. “This is the same Qatar that hosts the Hamas butchers of October 7,” the prime minister said.

“You also know exactly why Hamas representatives have been based in Doha,” the Qatari diplomat responds.

“Qatar has served as a communications channel and mediator in negotiations involving Israel, Hamas, the United States and Egypt. US officials have repeatedly described Qatar’s mediation role as critical or indispensable.”

“At a moment of profound regional and domestic political turmoil, attacking one of the countries doing the difficult work of mediation does nothing to solve the problem,” al-Muftah adds.

The Qatari deputy envoy attaches to his tweet a photo of Netanyahu sitting in the Oval Office alongside US President Donald Trump, reading out an apology written out for him to the prime minister of Qatar over a failed Israeli strike last year targeting Hamas’s leaders in Doha.

@IsraeliPM speaking to half-empty room during his UN remarks says plenty about the support for this message.

Blaming Qatar for a political failures does not change the facts. Qatar’s reported funding of American universities has overwhelmingly supported the operation of U.S.… pic.twitter.com/r8MXgZE7QC

— Hamad AlMuftah (@hmmm1983) September 24, 2026