Carlson made for an unlikely host of a conversation with the prime minister and minister of foreign affairs of Qatar, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman, and also a brave one: the Conservative talk show maven has long been accused by the likes of Laura Loomer for being a paid agent of the Qatari monarchy.
Carlson made light of that on the stage at the Doha Forum on Sunday, repeating that he has never taken money from Qatar, and if anything he has paid money out of his own pocket to visit and is buying a house there. "I'm American and a free man and I'll be wherever I want to be," he said to applause. "I have given my money to Qatar, and want to ask if that means that I bought you, and that you will spread my propaganda?"
That got a laugh from the foreign minister but for about 20 minutes the discussion in the packed main ballroom was serious. Carlson wasted no time in asking what many had queried after the Sept. 9 Israeli bombing of Qatar. Israel said they attacked because Qatar was hosting Hamas operatives in the country. Didn't Israel and the United States both ask Qatar — the only mediator in the conflict — to bring them there to help the war?
After acknowledging that Hamas representatives were in Doha at the behest of both states, the foreign minister said, "the concept of mediation is that it is a safe place for the two parties ... to have a mediator be bombed by one of the parties in the conflict is unprecedented and I have said that many times. I think it is not acceptable, no one can swallow it."
While there has been plenty of speculation about when Washington knew about Israel's plans and when, Tucker reiterated the official line that Trump was taken unawares by Netanyahu's orders to kill Hamas operatives in a residential area of Doha that day. He added that the bombing had "short circuited" the administration's attempts to get a ceasefire agreement through at the time. Sheik Mohammed bin Abdulrahman agreed.
"President Trump was very clear from the beginning, since the attack ...he expressed his frustration, his disappointment for such a thing," the foreign minister said. "He knows how helpful we were to this process. This kind of move was shocking for him...it was happening while we were trying to convince Hamas to sign the offer by President Trump at that time."
"He made it clear to everyone that this was a red line," he added. "I think this was one of many efforts to sabotage the relations between Qatar and the United States."
Carlson noted the apology that Washington forced Netanyahu to make to the Qataris. The U.S. also extended a new major security agreement to Doha shortly thereafter.
The foreign minister also mentioned the "disinformation" that has painted Qatar as a puppet master of Islamic radicalism and financier of Hamas. He said for years Qatar had sent money to the Hamas-run Gaza strip for humanitarian aid under the auspices and encouragement of the Israeli government and with the knowledge the U.S. "When they claim this financing of Hamas it has no basis," he said. As for why Qatar invests and lobbies in Washington, he said. "To make sure we are not being attacked." He pointed out "Qatar has never gone to the U.S. to encourage them to bomb this country or support that country. We have always been about how we can get to peace in the region."
On the issue of implementing the peace plan in Gaza, which cannot go anywhere until there is stabilization there, bin Abdulrahman said there will no progress until Israel withdrawals. "Now we are at the critical moment … A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of the Israeli forces (and) there is stability back in Gaza,” he said.
Carlson noted that oil-rich Qatar has been accused of causing the war by supporting Hamas but will likely be on the hook to pay for rebuilding the Strip too. The foreign minister was quick to say, no, it will not be primarily responsible for what should be a multi-country effort as proscribed in the Trump plan. "We are not the ones who are going to write the check," he said, adding that Qatar will always help the Palestinians directly.
