THE Zionist State of Israel is steadily advancing its imperialist designs to dominate its immediate neighborhood in the heart of the Arab world.
For decades, Israeli aggression was largely confined to the occupation and annexation of Palestinian land through forced expulsions and the establishment of Jewish settlements. However, since 7 October 2023, Israel has embarked on an open genocide of the Palestinian people, beginning with Gaza; a campaign that continues unabated. By 11 September 2025, Israeli forces had killed over 64,000 Palestinians and wounded more than 200,000, while Gaza itself was reduced to rubble. Israel’s military leadership has already presented Prime Minister Netanyahu with a comprehensive plan to eliminate or expel the remaining Palestinians from Gaza. The United States fully backs this campaign, supporting Israel’s phased plan: first, the complete subjugation of Gaza and next, the West Bank, as part of a broader expansionist project. Indeed, this has been going on for decades. However, there has been low intensity in the Israeli military operations yet gradual settlements and annexation. Had Muslims reacted to the Israeli killing of the Gaza people, the situation would have been very different today.
Until 10 September 2025, Israel’s military strikes had mainly targeted unstable states such as Yemen, Lebanon and Syria – countries weakened by internal unrest and externally driven conflicts. The attack on Qatar, however, represents a new and dangerous shift. Unlike the aforementioned states, Qatar is a stable country with a cohesive political and social fabric. It has long-standing political and military alliances with the United States and the West. Qatar has invested heavily in the US economy and signed numerous agreements with Washington, including multi-trillion-dollar deals during President Donald Trump’s visits in May 2017 and May 2025.
On May 14, 2025, Qatar signed a $1.2 trillion economic exchange agreement with the US, in addition to separate deals worth $243.5 billion, including major purchases from Boeing and GE Aerospace. As per the White House, in a bid to Make America Great Again (MAGA), Qatar signed a deal of $1.2 trillion with the US during the visit of President Donald Trump on May 14, 2025. “President Donald J. Trump signed an agreement with Qatar to generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion. President Trump also announced economic deals totaling more than $243.5 billion between the United States and Qatar, including a historic sale of Boeing aircraft and GE Aerospace engines to Qatar Airways.”
Moreover, Qatar hosts the United States’ largest overseas military installation; CENTCOM headquarters, making it a linchpin of US strategic operations across the Middle East, Persian Gulf, South Asia and Central Asia. The CENTCOM conducted Operation Desert Storm and later achieved control over Iraq after the expulsion of Saddam Hussain through invasion in 2003. The same Military Command conducted and controlled operations in Afghanistan in 2001 for dislodging the Taliban Government and remaining there for almost two decades (2001-2021). The invasion-cum-military operation of the United States in Afghanistan met a failure and the US had to cut a deal with the Taliban on February 29, 2020 – the famous US-Taliban Deal. Thereafter, the US had to hand over Afghanistan to the Taliban where they are enjoying a de facto control with the backing of the US. Since 2022, the Taliban Government of Afghanistan is promoting terrorism in neighbouring states, especially Pakistan.
Despite its strategic reliance on the US and the West for defence, Qatar has carved out a unique role as a mediator in regional conflicts. It facilitated the US-Taliban Agreement of February 29, 2020 and has hosted peace negotiations concerning Gaza and Palestine. With the consent of Washington, Hamas leadership has long been based in Qatar to facilitate dialogue and ceasefire efforts. At the time of Israel’s attack on September 10, 2025, Hamas leaders were in Qatar pursuing negotiations for a truce. Qatar stands out in the Muslim world for its stability, modern governance and emphasis on education, science and technology. It has consistently avoided military adventurism and instead acted as a bridge between Gulf States and the broader Middle East. Israel’s assault on such a state is therefore not only an act of war but also a crime against humanity and a blatant violation of the UN Charter. It is a direct attack on Qatar’s sovereignty and territorial integrity and by extension, a challenge to the entire Arab and Muslim world.
By targeting Qatar under the pretext of eliminating Hamas leadership, Israel has revealed its broader agenda of subjugating Middle Eastern states one by one. Among Arab states, Qatar has maintained one of the most principled positions on the Palestinian issue, consistently condemning Israel’s genocide in Gaza and supporting the two-state solution in line with UN General Assembly Resolution 181. For this, Qatar is being punished. The wider Arab and Muslim world must recognize the grave implications. If Israel can attack Qatar, a key US ally with strong international partnerships, it can attack any Arab State. Silence over Gaza has emboldened Israel and the normalization agreements such as the Abraham Accords have further weakened the collective stance of Arab leadership.
The attack on Qatar should serve as a wake-up call for all Muslims and the Middle East in particular. The Zionist vision of a “Greater Israel” is no longer a distant dream; it is being operationalized step by step. If unchecked, Israel aims within the next decade to dominate the Middle East, control its resources and establish hegemony in the heart of the Arab world.
— The writer is Professor of Politics and IR at International Islamic University, Islamabad.
