Donald Trump has responded to Israel's actions with outspoken criticism. Unlike the bombing of Iran in June, the White House was not informed of the planned attack. However, the actions of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government have quite different consequences.
The White House responded to Israel's attack in Qatar on Tuesday with unmistakable criticism."A unilateral bombing within Qatar, a sovereign state and a close ally of the United States," spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said, serves neither Israel's nor America's goals."The president views Qatar as a strong ally and friend of the United States, and he is unhappy about the location of the attack."
The US President may have been upset about more than just this. The Israeli side hadn't informed Donald Trump in advance about the planned attack on the Hamas leaders. When asked by reporters, the White House admitted that"the US military informed the administration of the situation." Trump's special envoy for the region, Steve Witkoff, immediately contacted the Qatari government to warn them of the attack.
According to Doha, this warning came too late. A US government official called Qatar at the moment the explosions were already heard, the Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. He added that Israel's attack was a"flagrant violation of all international laws and norms" and a "serious threat to the security" of the people of Qatar.
The chronological sequence of events on Tuesday makes it clear that Israel's closest ally and most important supporter was not privy to the unprecedented operation."The Trump administration had no chance to exert influence," Axios quoted a US government official as saying. Spokeswoman Leavitt accordingly left unanswered the question of whether the White House had attempted to dissuade Israel from the attack.
In the case of Israel's airstrikes on Iran last June, things were different."We informed them (the US government, ed.) in a timely manner. They knew about the attacks," Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed at the time, confirming the information exchange prior to the airstrikes. The US military deployed warships to the eastern Mediterranean to stabilize the region. Later, Trump ordered American B-2 bombers to bomb Iranian nuclear facilities.
This time, Israel's extraterritorial attack is of a completely different quality in the eyes of the US administration. While Iran is a bitter common enemy of both governments, Washington considers Qatar to be one of the most important, if not the most important, mediator in the region. The country hosts strategic US military bases and has played a key role since the Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023.
Criticism of Israel and oaths of allegiance to Qatar
It became apparent on Tuesday that Trump was walking a fine line between criticizing his close ally Israel and pledging allegiance to the important mediator Qatar. Leavitt said it was"very unfortunate" that the Hamas leadership was "located in a district of Doha, the capital of Qatar." The Qatari government is committed to peace with "dedication and courage."
Trump's spokeswoman also emphasized that "the elimination of Hamas, which profits from the misery of the people of Gaza, is a worthy goal." Trump spoke with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the phone after the attack. Netanyahu assured Trump that he"wants to make peace, and quickly." The US president is convinced that "the unfortunate incident can serve as an opportunity for peace," the spokeswoman said.
This may be doubted for the moment. Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani described the Israeli attack as"treacherous" and spoke of "state terror." His country, he said, would not be deterred from its role as mediator. But al-Thani added:"With regard to the current talks, nothing is valid after the attacks (on Tuesday, ed.)."
