Mossad slams Qatar over Gaza war messaging

Israel’s Mossad issued a rare public statement accusing Qatar of spreading incitement and false narratives against Israel, after opposition lawmaker Avigdor Liberman claimed the agency was helping Doha improve its image.

Liberman, a former defense minister and leader of the Yisrael Beytenu party, alleged that a recent meeting in New York produced several joint working groups with Qatar, including one focused on communications and Qatar’s public relations. 

He argued that continuing ties with Qatar are unacceptable given what he described as Doha’s role in fueling incitement linked to the Gaza war.

Mossad rejected the claim, calling it unfounded and saying the New York meeting did not include any effort to coordinate messaging or rehabilitate Qatar’s reputation.

In its response, Mossad said the only media related issue raised in the meeting was a direct demand by Israel and the United States that Qatar address what Israel described as harmful Al Jazeera coverage. 

The statement added that Israel and the United States demanded Qatar stop the dissemination of what it called false narratives and incitement against Israel across platforms worldwide.

The dispute centers on a reported trilateral contact in New York involving Mossad Director David Barnea, a senior Qatari official, and United States envoy Steve Witkoff, as Washington works with regional players on Gaza related diplomacy. 

Israeli and international outlets have described Qatar as a key intermediary in negotiations tied to Gaza, including hostage and ceasefire talks, even as Israeli officials frequently accuse Doha of supporting Hamas.

Mossad’s unusually pointed language highlights a long running tension in Israel’s approach to Qatar: maintaining channels viewed as operationally useful for negotiations, while publicly criticizing Qatar’s media ecosystem and what Israel describes as hostile influence activity.

Neither Mossad nor Liberman indicated that the exchange would change Israel’s immediate engagement with Qatar on Gaza related issues, but the public nature of the statement suggests the relationship is becoming a more contested issue inside Israeli politics.