Key facts
- Qatar rejected claims by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Doha is running a campaign to influence public opinion against Israel.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari stated that Netanyahu's rhetoric is an attempt to divert attention from his government's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories.
- Al-Ansari said that allegations of influence campaigns insult a generation witnessing events in real time.
- Netanyahu made the claims in an address to the UN General Assembly.
Qatar has "categorically" rejected claims made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the UN General Assembly that Doha is conducting a campaign to influence public opinion against Israel and the West. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari stated that Netanyahu's rhetoric is an attempt to divert attention from his government's actions in the occupied Palestinian territories and their humanitarian consequences. Al-Ansari also said that reducing the global shift in public opinion, particularly among young people, to allegations of "influence campaigns" insults the awareness of a generation witnessing events in real time. He suggested that if Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians want the world to view Israel differently, they should change their policies, respect international law, and take responsibility rather than searching for scapegoats. Attempts to hold Qatar responsible for a global shift in public opinion shaped by what people witness are no longer persuasive, Al-Ansari added.