Khaberni - The Hebrew newspaper "Maariv" reported that it is expected that the leader of the Israeli opposition, Yair Lapid, will present a bill titled "Declaring Qatar an Enemy State" to the Knesset tomorrow, Monday.
According to "Maariv", the law, which consists of only one clause, aims to "designate Qatar as an enemy state" and to apply all provisions of Israeli law concerning "enemy states" to it in all forms of legislation.
The explanatory memorandum for the bill states that "there is currently no general and comprehensive definition of the term 'enemy state' in Israeli law. However, there are various legislative provisions that directly or indirectly refer to relations with the enemy and related activities. For example, the 'Trading with the Enemy Ordinance of 1939', adopted from the British Mandate, allows the Finance Minister to determine the countries with which trade is prohibited, including Syria, Iraq, Iran, and Lebanon."
The draft added: "Furthermore, Article 91 of the Penal Code of 1977 defines 'the enemy' as anyone who is a belligerent party or establishes a state of war against Israel or declares itself as such, whether or not war is declared, and whether or not there are military hostilities, as well as terrorist organizations."
The Penal Code includes several clauses related to violations in this regard, such as "providing assistance to the enemy in war, serving in enemy forces, delivering information to the enemy, among others". Article 7 of 'Basic Law: The Knesset' stipulates that "a candidate for the Knesset is prohibited from supporting an enemy state or residing in it unlawfully during the seven years preceding his candidacy submission."
Lapid further elaborated in his explanation claiming: "For years, the state of Qatar has systematically and continuously acted against the security and political interests of the State of Israel. It supports and finances terrorist organizations fighting Israel, notably the Hamas terrorist organization. Part of Hamas' leadership resides in Qatar and operates from its territory. Moreover, Qatar stands behind an international propaganda system that includes donations to universities worldwide and the Al Jazeera channel, which adopts Hamas' messages, systematically incites against Israel, and causes significant damage to Israel's image globally."
Lapid also mentioned in the bill the "Qatar Gate" issue, claiming: "Along with all this, the State of Israel today lives amidst the most dangerous security issue in its history, where Qatar has recruited agents from inside the Prime Minister's office. Given this legislative background, and considering the absence of explicit text in the law regarding the status of the State of Qatar, it is proposed to legally designate Qatar as an enemy state, and apply all applicable provisions in Israeli law against enemy states to it."
The leader of the Israeli opposition said: "Tomorrow we will begin the legislative procedures for the bill that seeks to rectify a historical injustice in the authorities' treatment of the State of Qatar. I call on all parliamentary blocs, especially those that call themselves national blocs, to express their public support for the law. If the law is passed, it will assist us in promoting similar legislation in cooperation with both the Republican and Democratic parties in the US Congress."
The issue known as "QatarGate", is "a political scandal in Israel" centered around allegations of close advisors and aides to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu receiving funds from Qatari entities. These allegations suggest that the objective was to enhance Qatar’s image and further its interests in Israel, particularly amid its mediation in negotiations for the release of prisoners.
The investigations involve prominent figures from media consultants and politicians very close to Netanyahu.
For its part, the International Media Office in Qatar issued a statement last April, responding to "false media reports about the mediation process between Hamas and Israel": "The State of Qatar expresses its strong condemnation of the media statements by some journalists and media that allege the State of Qatar paid money to undermine the efforts of the Arab Republic of Egypt and other mediators in the mediation process between Hamas and Israel."
The statement confirmed that "these allegations are baseless and only serve agendas aiming to spoil mediation efforts and undermine relations between brotherly people, as well as representing a new chapter in a series of misinformation and distraction from the ongoing human suffering and politicization of the war," warning that "these individuals are slipping towards serving projects that aim only to fail the mediation and increase the suffering of the brethren in Palestine."
