Israel’s far-right minister Smotrich accuses Qatar of ‘supporting and financing terror’

Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has taken aim at Qatar in a social media post.

“Qatar is a country that supports terrorism and finances terrorism. She is the patron of Hamas and is largely responsible for the massacre committed by Hamas of Israeli citizens,” Smotrich wrote on X.

Smotrich was responding to comments made by Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Dr Majed Al Ansari, who said Doha was “appalled” by alleged remarks made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticising Qatari mediation efforts to secure the return of Israeli captives from Gaza.

Smotrich, one of the most extremist members of the most extremist Israeli government coalition to date, showed open and frank support for Hamas in a 2015 interview.

“The Palestinian Authority is a burden, and Hamas is an asset,” Smotrich said at the time. “It’s a terrorist organisation, no one will recognise it, no one will give it status at the [International Criminal Court], no one will let it put forth a resolution at the UN Security Council.”