“We are not a scapegoat.” Qatar responds to accusations of interference in the Israeli elections

On Thursday, Qatar denied interfering in the Israeli elections or financing any activities aimed at influencing their results, rejecting accusations made by Israeli politicians and media parties linked to them, and describing them as part of a “new disinformation campaign” aimed at inserting its name into the internal political disputes in Israel, against the backdrop of the elections that took place this week. The spokesman for the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Majed Al-Ansari, previously said through his official account on the “X” platform, Twitter: “The State of Qatar categorically denies the allegations regarding its interference in the Israeli elections or the financing of any activities aimed at influencing their results, and rejects the accusations promoted by some Israeli politicians and media parties linked to them, as part of a new disinformation campaign aimed at inserting its name into the internal political disputes in Israel, against the backdrop of the elections that took place this week.

We point out the contradiction of these accusations, which range from the claim of buying the loyalty of Benjamin Netanyahu, financing the Israeli left, all the way to influencing the votes of Arab voters, as if, according to these allegations, we control the entire Israeli political scene. Al-Ansari added: “We affirm that these false accusations combine absurdity and danger, and that the insistence on inserting our name into the electoral discourse in this way reflects an excessive obsession with Qatar in some Israeli political and media circles that goes beyond logic.

We stress that we are not a scapegoat for the political failures of some Israeli politicians, and that it would be better for them, instead of trying to divert attention towards us, is to respond to the aspirations of their voters and address the repercussions of their disastrous policies on the region. He continued: “We reiterate that we are not concerned with the political and electoral competition in Israel, as it is an internal matter in which we do not interfere, and we will not accept being dragged into its disputes.

We affirm that any government produced by the elections is required to adhere to international law and international legitimacy resolutions, deal seriously and honestly with the Palestinian issue, and respect the inalienable rights of the brotherly Palestinian people, foremost of which is their right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state on the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its capital. Working to achieve a just and comprehensive peace that enhances security and stability in the region.

We affirm that we will continue to work closely with our regional and international partners to resolve disputes through diplomatic means, and that silence will not be our strategy regarding using our name to serve electoral agendas or narrow political gains.”