By Tania Curado-Koenig
May 3, 2025

While Israel mourns its dead and continues to battle Hamas in Gaza, a quiet deal unfolded in the Gulf that should shake the moral conscience of every believer. Just days ago, President Trump finalized a luxury development agreement with Qatar, the very nation funding the terror Israel is fighting. The project — a Trump-branded golf and hotel resort near Dar es Salaam — is backed by Qatar’s royal family and celebrated as a major expansion of Trump’s business empire.

At the same time, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s handpicked envoy to the Middle East, appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show and praised Qatar’s leadership as “visionary,” suggesting the Gulf nation could serve as a stabilizing bridge for peace in the region. His tone was diplomatic — even admiring.

But to Israelis on the front lines, these statements sound tone-deaf at best and dangerous at worst. Qatar harbors Hamas leaders in luxury hotels, channels funds into Gaza, and fuels the very ideology Israel is bleeding to defeat. While Doha plays peacemaker on international stages, its hands are stained with the blood of Israeli civilians.

On May 1, 2025, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu broke his silence and issued one of his clearest rebukes yet regarding Qatar’s role in the war. In remarks reported by the Times of Israel, Netanyahu declared:
“The time has come for Qatar to stop playing both sides with its double talk and decide if it’s on the side of civilization or if it’s on the side of Hamas barbarism. Israel will win this just war with just means.” (Times of Israel, May 1, 2025)

The timing of Netanyahu’s statement was no accident: it came as Qatar’s mediation in hostage negotiations had visibly collapsed. Despite hosting Hamas leadership in luxury and receiving praise from U.S. figures like Witkoff, Qatar has failed to secure the release of Israeli hostages — further confirming what many in Israel already suspect: Qatar’s “neutrality” is a façade.

This contradiction — between prophetic clarity from Jerusalem and ambiguous dealings in Washington — cannot be ignored. It is not just a mismatch in negotiation strategy. It is a spiritual misalignment. The spirit of Mammon and the fear of man are driving decisions where the fear of the Lord should reign.

This is not the time for political pragmatism. It is the time for prophetic alignment. As intercessors, we must lift our voices, call this out, and pray for bold repentance — because the stakes are not just regional. They are covenantal.