ByYONAH JEREMY BOB
Updated:

The Mossad on Thursday rejected allegations by Yisrael Beytenu chairman Avigdor Liberman that at a recent meeting in New York, it worked with Qatar to improve Doha’s image issues.

Liberman made his remarks at a Yediot Aharonot conference this week, following new allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the so-called Qatargate Affair. Netanyahu was accused of managing his aides, who were said to be promoting Doha’s interests through their work.

Mossad Director David Barnea met with Qatari officials on December 7 at the request of the US, the Mossad said, adding that the trilateral meeting was presided over by US Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff to ease tensions after Israel attacked Hamas leaders in Doha on September 9.

The goal of the meeting was to bridge the divide between Barnea and the Qatari officials, following a period during which they not only distrusted each other on the expected issues of dispute between the countries, but also had lost the capacity to work together even on narrower issues, such as hostage negotiations.

Although Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani could have blacklisted Barnea after Israel tried to assassinate top Hamas leaders on Qatari soil on September 9, just as the Mossad and Qatar were negotiating over a potential hostage deal,
The Jerusalem Post
understands that Barnea used his extensive skill set to rebuild the Israel-Qatar working relationship.
Head of Mossad David Barnea attends a ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, as Israel marks the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. April 23, 2025.
Head of Mossad David Barnea attends a ceremony held at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial Museum in Jerusalem, as Israel marks the annual Holocaust Remembrance Day. April 23, 2025. (credit: CHAIM GOLDBERG/FLASH90)

This was not inevitable

There was nothing inevitable about this. Barnea had a strong working relationship with Thani both before the October 7 massacre and its aftermath, including the Israel-Hamas War. They were key figures in working out the first two ceasefires and hostage exchanges in November 2023 and January 2025.

But Qatar could have completely blacklisted Israel, in general, and Barnea, in particular, for years, as the UAE did to Israel and the Mossad after the Mossad assassination of Mahmoud al-Mabhouh in the UAE in 2010.

The Mossad viewed it as a positive that relations were reestablished, but it said the focus remained on hostage issues and dealing with Hamas in Gaza going forward.

There were also discussions about how Qatar would handle Hamas officials living there going forward.

Finally, the sides discussed Israeli objections to many anti-Israel messages issued by Al Jazeera, Qatar’s government-funded media outlet.

To the extent that Qatar and Israel working together again could indirectly improve Doha’s image, various Israeli officials have said the US has kept Qatar as a major player in the Middle East and insisted on Jerusalem continuing to work with Doha.

If true, working with Qatar has also been necessary for relations with the US.