Qatar, Egypt, Saudia Arabia: Hamas Delenda Est

Big deal, or merely box-checking? 

With the UK and France demanding a Palestinian state even while Hamas has kidnapped Israelis as hostages, seventeen countries met for a two-state-solution conference. France co-chaired the conference and has already declared its intention to recognize a Palestinian state, even while Hamas remains committed to the annihilation of Israel. France’s co-chair, Saudi Arabia, has a different idea:

Arab nations — including Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Egypt — joined calls Tuesday for Hamas to disarm and give up its grip on Gaza to end the 21-month war between the terror group and Israel.

The Arab League, European Union and 17 other nations are pushing for an end to Hamas’ nearly 20-year rule over Gaza as part of a two-state solution aimed at preventing further bloodshed and suffering of Palestinians, who are facing a humanitarian crisis.

“In the context of ending the war in Gaza, Hamas must end its rule in Gaza and hand over its weapons to the Palestinian Authority, with international engagement and support, in line with the objective of a sovereign and independent Palestinian State,” the declaration read.

At least this proposal avoids putting the cart before the horse. France and the UK not only want to reward Hamas’ October 7 massacre with a recognition of statehood, they aren’t even calling on Hamas to eschew terrorism first. I fact, neither country conditions their recognition on any action by Hamas, not even returning the hostages. The two Western leaders are explicitly endorsing a terrorist state on Israel’s border, mainly because unbridled immigration over the last 14 years of a refugee crisis in North Africa has changed the character of both countries. 

Qatar, Egypt, and especially Saudi Arabia know better. They have dealt with Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood extremists long enough — and in Qatar’s case, played footsie with them — to understand their nature. They also know that Hamas and Hezbollah remain tools of the mullahs in Iran and the IRGC, plus now grasp that Israel will never allow a two-state solution while those proxies remain in the ‘Palestinian’ territories. They want partnerships with Israel, both for economic and security purposes, especially with the US fully re-engaged again in the region. 

Still, despite the sales pitch about the supposedly singular moment, it seems more rote than game-changing. If Qatar wants an end to Hamas, they could pitch out their Billionaire Boys Club in Doha and leave those Hamas grifters to the tender mercies of the Mossad. Egypt’s Abdel Fattah al-Sisi wants an end to the Muslim Brotherhood too, as they want to depose him and install a Hamas-esque terror regime in Cairo, so al-Sisi’s demand to disband Hamas is hardly novel. The Saudis are the other main target of Iran’s proxy-encirclement strategy, which is why the Houthis are trying to keep control of Yemen. 

They know that Hamas will never choose to disband, and that Israel won’t stop defending itself. This looks more like a box-check exercise on the off chance that an alternate reality arises in which Hamas suddenly disappears into the ether. When the impossible happens, sure, let’s recognize a Palestinian state!

Tellingly, the US and Israel refused to participate, with the latter calling out the absurdity of rewarding Hamas for its October 7 massacres. Another group opposed to the continuing war in Gaza has also rejected this conference’s agenda and its proposed ‘solution’:

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum condemns the growing trend of European countries recognizing a Palestinian state, arguing that such diplomatic initiatives endanger the hostages.

“Recognizing a Palestinian state while 50 hostages remain trapped in Hamas tunnels amounts to rewarding terrorism. Such recognition is not a step toward peace, but rather a clear violation of international law and a dangerous moral and political failure that legitimizes horrific war crimes,” declares the group, which represents the families of the hostages.

“The abduction of men, women, and children, who are being held against their will in tunnels while subjected to starvation and physical and psychological abuse, cannot and should not serve as the foundation for establishing a state.”

“If the international community truly desires peace, it must join US efforts by demanding first the release of all hostages, followed by an end to the fighting,” the forum continues. “Recognition of a Palestinian state before the hostages are returned will be remembered throughout history as validating terrorism as a legitimate pathway to political goals,” it adds. “The essential first step toward ensuring a better future for all peoples must be the release of all hostages through a single, comprehensive deal.”

Ya think? The fact that these countries are even floating statehood as a result of the October 7 massacres without first demanding the release of all hostages held in Gaza is an example of the moral inversion suffered in some Western countries over the past couple of decades. The HMFF wants Israel to commit to ending the war, a position at odds with the current government (and a mistake in my opinion), but they clearly see the moral rot that has crept into the UK and France and what it would mean for Israel in the long run. 

I doubt that Western moral rot concerns Saudi Arabia, Egypt, or especially Qatar, which funds the expansion of that rot in Western Academia with an avalanche of cash. However, they have to live in this neighborhood, so they don’t have the luxury of getting high on their own radical-Islamist-chic supply. 

Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice. Unfortunately, our allies have grown wobbly from their embrace of radical Marxism and their pusillanimous reactions to rising Islamist elements. It’s more important than ever to keep a close eye on both our enemies and our putative friends in a dangerous world. 

Help us continue to report on the administration’s peace through strength foreign policy and its successes. Join Hot Air VIP and use promo code FIGHT to get 60% off your VIP membership.