
MAJOR POLICY SHIFT: Israel Halts All Defense Exports To Qatar, Including Existing Contracts
Israel has decided to impose a sweeping ban on all defense exports to Qatar, including the implementation of contracts signed years ago, according to a report by Channel 12.
The move represents a complete halt to the export of products from Israel’s defense industries to Qatar. The restrictions apply not only to future deals but also to contracts signed four or five years ago that are still being fulfilled.
Israeli defense officials reportedly described Qatar as a “bad country” that acts against Israel.
According to foreign reports, Israeli defense companies have sold Qatar weapons, defense systems, cyber systems and air-defense equipment worth hundreds of millions of dollars. Those exports had received approval from Israel’s Defense Ministry and the prime minister.
The sweeping decision marks a significant shift in Israel’s policy toward Qatar, and the report indicated that additional measures could follow.
Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett responded to the report, saying Israel’s defense establishment is warning the government about the threat posed by Qatar and halting defense deals with Doha, while accusing Israel’s political leadership of continuing to ignore the issue.
Bennett has previously pledged that he would seek to designate Qatar an enemy state, accusing Doha of responsibility for the October 7 massacre and of financing Hamas while hosting its terror leaders.
Gadi Eisenkot, however, has cautioned against turning such a designation into a political campaign issue. During a visit to Nir Oz earlier this month, Eisenkot said that any decision to declare Qatar an enemy state should be taken seriously rather than used as an “election gimmick.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)