Gatestone Institute
Why Turkey and Qatar Should Be Kept Away From Gaza
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One of the keynote speakers at the conference [hosted by Turkey] was Khaled Mashaal, a senior Hamas leader based in Qatar.
Mashaal declared that the time has come for the Muslim nation to "commit to the liberation of Jerusalem." He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to "liberating all of Palestine" -- meaning the destruction of Israel and replacing it with an Islamist state.
As the conference was underway, Israeli authorities revealed documents that show that Hamas is operating a system of Gazan moneychangers who live in Turkey and exploit the country's financial infrastructure to secretly finance terrorism.
The closing statement of the conference asserted the necessity of waging Jihad (war in the service of Islam)....
Turkey in addition, is the main sponsor behind the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly an al-Qaeda leader known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, leader of the jihadist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militia. Is Turkey possibly trying to position itself on either side of Israel to attack it after Trump leaves office?
Is Trump's selling arms to Qatar and Turkey in fact unwittingly preparing them to launch such an attack?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is evidently concerned about Qatar and Turkey playing a central role in the Gaza Strip.
Allowing Turkey or Qatar to play any role in the Gaza Strip means empowering Hamas to reassert its control of the coastal area and rearm and regroup. Turkey and Qatar are not going to participate in any effort to disarm Hamas or destroy terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, as they openly state, they will ensure that Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip and pursue its Jihad to destroy Israel.
In early December, Turkey hosted a conference called "Pledge to Jerusalem," under the slogan "Towards Renewing the Will of the Ummah in Confronting Liquidation and Genocide." According to reports in the Arabic media, the conference was attended by "a number of Arab and Islamic organizations."
The conference, according to a report by the Hamas-affiliated Quds Press media outlet:
"The conference aims to 'unify the efforts of the Ummah to criminalize genocide and break the siege, stand against plans of forced displacement and annexation of the West Bank, and renew the covenant to protect Al-Aqsa Mosque from the dangers of Judaization...'
At the conclusion of the second day, participants aim to issue the 'Covenant for Jerusalem Document,' described as a comprehensive charter affirming the constants of the Ummah and the choice of resistance, according to the conference vision obtained by Quds Press.
"The conference will... further issue a scholarly fatwa establishing the religious duty to defend Jerusalem, resist normalization, and oppose alignment [between Israel and the Arab and Islamic countries]."
The conference in Istanbul comes amid reports that Turkey is seeking to play a role in the Gaza Strip as part of US President Donald J. Trump's 20-point plan for ending the Israel-Hamas war. The war erupted with the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led invasion of Israel, which resulted in the murder of 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals, the wounding of thousands, and the abduction of 251 people to the Gaza Strip as hostages.
The conference, held under the auspices of the Turkish leadership, serves as a reminder that Turkey is not an impartial mediator in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
One of the keynote speakers at the conference was Khaled Mashaal, a senior Hamas leader based in Qatar.
Mashaal underscored the urgency of confronting Israel and reaffirmed the centrality of Palestinian unity and "resistance," a euphemism for armed conflict and terrorism against Israel.
Mashaal repeated Hamas's rejections of Trump's plan, specifically the parts that call for the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, the establishment of an international governing body, and the deployment of an International Stabilization Force there.
"Rejecting any form of external guardianship over Gaza, Meshaal stressed that Palestinians must govern themselves. He emphasized the need to safeguard the resistance project and its weapons, calling them vital to the struggle for freedom."
Mashaal declared that the time has come for the Muslim nation to "commit to the liberation of Jerusalem." He defined this act as the symbol and strategic key to "liberating all of Palestine" -- meaning the destruction of Israel and replacing it with an Islamist state.
By hosting such a conference of Islamists, Turkey is sending a message to the United States that it is opposed to Trump's plan to disarm the terrorist groups in the Gaza Strip. Turkey, in addition, is sending a message to the US and the international community that it fully supports Hamas and other Palestinian terror groups that reject Trump's efforts to achieve normalization agreements between Israel and some Arab and Islamic countries, including Saudi Arabia.
As the conference was underway, Israeli authorities revealed documents that show that Hamas is operating a system of Gazan moneychangers who live in Turkey and exploit the country's financial infrastructure to secretly finance terrorism. The network, according to the Israeli authorities, works in full cooperation with the Iranian regime and has transferred millions of dollars directly to Hamas and its senior leaders. The network conducts extensive financial activity in Turkey, including receiving, holding, and forwarding Iranian funds to Hamas. The exposé identified three Hamas operatives, all originally from the Gaza Strip, who are operating as moneychangers in Turkey under Iranian direction. They are Tamer Hassan, a senior figure in Hamas's finance office in Turkey, who works directly under Hamas leader Khalil al-Hayya, and Khaled Farwana and Farid Abu Dair.
On October 6, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan stated that disarming Hamas cannot be the main priority in the Gaza Strip. "That cannot be the first thing to do in the process, the disarming," Fidan said. "We need to put things in [their] proper order, we have to be realistic."
The Istanbul conference was not the first of its kind hosted by Turkey. In August, a high-level conference sponsored by Turkey and Qatar, and attended by 150 senior Muslim clerics from 50 countries, was held in Istanbul at the grand mosque of Hagia Sophia, formerly a Byzantine church.
The closing statement of the conference asserted the necessity of waging Jihad (war in the service of Islam):
"The Islamic nations must be generally prepared with knowledge, military force, reverence for Allah, and Jihad for the sake of Allah in all its forms. Allah said: 'And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy...' (Quran 8:60). He also said: 'O believers! Shall I show you a bargain that will deliver you from a painful punishment" [It is to] have faith in Allah and His Messenger, and wage Jihad in the cause of Allah with your wealth and your lives. That is best for you, if only you knew.' (Quran 61:10-11)."
The assumption that Turkey can play a constructive and positive role in post-war Gaza is wrong and misguided. Like Qatar, Turkey has long been sponsoring and funding Hamas and hosting many of its leaders and terror operatives.
Turkey in addition, is the main sponsor behind the new president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, formerly an al-Qaeda leader known as Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, leader of the jihadist Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham militia. Is Turkey possibly trying to position itself on either side of Israel to attack it after Trump leaves office?
Is Trump's selling arms to Qatar and Turkey in fact unwittingly preparing them to launch such an attack?
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is evidently concerned about Qatar and Turkey playing a central role in the Gaza Strip. "The UAE views Doha and Ankara as 'Hamas enablers," a source familiar with its stance told The Jerusalem Post.
"These states will make it possible for the terror organization to continue existing. These are interested parties affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood who are currently embedding themselves in key positions in the Gaza reconstruction plan."
Allowing Turkey or Qatar to play any role in the Gaza Strip means empowering Hamas to reassert its control of the coastal area and rearm and regroup. Turkey and Qatar are not going to participate in any effort to disarm Hamas or destroy terror infrastructure in the Gaza Strip. On the contrary, as they openly state, they will ensure that Hamas continues to rule the Gaza Strip and pursue its Jihad to destroy Israel.
Khaled Abu Toameh is an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem.
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