Trump plan v. Qatari’s Al Jazeera-jacked power
For years, and long before Oct. 7, Gaza has languished as one of the most troubled enclaves on Earth. Now, President Donald Trump has announced a bold — some would say quixotic — plan to “take over” Gaza, turn it into a glittering American “Riviera of the Middle East,” and provide alternate homes for Gazans in Egypt and Jordan.
A glaring obstacle stands in the way: Qatar.
If Trump expects Arab leaders to help solve the Gaza crisis, he must also pressure Qatar to rein in its propaganda networks and ongoing alliance with the Muslim Brotherhood. These networks, notably Al Jazeera, have long used the Palestinian quagmire as a cudgel to hammer other Arab regimes, portraying them as complicit in Israel’s siege or indifferent to Palestinian suffering. In so doing, they undermine rival governments that are already wary of a backlash from their own citizens and the broader Arab street.
Qatar’s posture in the Middle East has always involved a delicate balancing act. On the one hand, Doha flaunts its relations with Washington, hosts a major US military base and positions itself as a modernizing, business-friendly emirate. On the other, it funds and gives shelter to Islamist groups, from the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas to more extreme jihadists. That same duality extends to its media empire. Al Jazeera’s Arabic channel regularly lambasts the region’s monarchies and strongmen for failing to support the Palestinians, all while the Qatari monarchy cultivates cordial ties with Western powers like the United States, having thousands of American technocrats and professors on its generous payroll.
This duplicity is not lost on the region’s leaders. They know that if they so much as nod in the direction of a US plan for Gaza, Al Jazeera’s cameras will magnify every perceived betrayal or shortfall, labeling them traitors who capitulate to American imperial designs.
Domestic opponents in Egypt, Jordan or Saudi Arabia, for instance, could seize on that narrative — weaponizing Al Jazeera’s coverage to rouse popular outrage. No leader wants to face the wave of condemnation that might stem from a 24/7 news cycle painting them as complicit in the final displacement of Palestinians.
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If Trump is serious about forging a solution in Gaza, then he must address the contradictions in Washington’s relationship with Qatar. Historically, the United States has treated Doha with kid gloves. Qatar invests heavily in American real estate, business ventures, universities, and, not least, lavish lobbying campaigns in Washington. Over the years, an array of Beltway insiders, think tanks and political influencers have found themselves on Qatari payrolls, enjoying lucrative consulting contracts that often hamper scrutiny of Doha’s double-dealings.
That same scenario looms large over the Trump administration. On one side, Trump champions a new Middle Eastern order — cracking down on extremism and ending the endless tragedies. On the other, Qatar remains an ostensible ally, never facing real pressure to restrain Al Jazeera’s incendiary narratives or break from the Muslim Brotherhood.
Meanwhile, Qatar continues to project an image of progressive diplomacy and philanthropic generosity to the Palestinians while effectively controlling the narrative that defines how other Arab states are judged on the issue.
Ultimately, the dissonance arises from the United States wanting to champion stability and oppose extremist narratives yet refusing to confront an ally that skillfully plays both sides.
Trump’s grand vision to transform Gaza may sound like a pipe dream or a cynically choreographed move to corner Arab leaders. In either case, a crucial piece is missing: a determination to hold Qatar accountable. If that piece is absent, any talk of radical change in Gaza will only feed the region’s vicious cycle, wherein politicians float grand ideas, Qatari media tears them down, and the Palestinians remain in tragic limbo.
Write: Columnist@TheJewishStar.com
