Prime Minister Netanyahu has already landed in Washington D.C. in preparation for his face to face meeting with President Donald Trump on Tuesday. According to reports the two will discuss the implementation of the second phase of the hostage deal signed with Hamas as well as a day after plan for the Gaza Strip.
Reports also indicate that President Trump’s favorite golfing buddy turned Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff will be there. Witkoff is not just any golfing buddy for the President, he is also Qatar’s point man inside the US administration. As I wrote a few weeks ago in my piece – Qatar Uses Witkoff To Force Israel Into A Dangerous Deal: “In August 2023, Witkoff sold the 610-room Park Lane Hotel in Manhattan for roughly $623 million, to the Qatar Investment Authority, a sovereign wealth fund. Interestingly, Witkoff gave the fund a 17.5 percent discount. Many observers acknowledge that the Qatari purchase was more like a bailout for Witkoff who had lost millions in his purchase of the hotel and other properties.”
Since heading up the task of ensuring this deal continues, Witkoff has continued to push Qatar’s interest, which is to leave Hamas in power. To make it more complicated, reports from last year have resurfaced that the Richardson Center for Global Engagement who has been advising the hostage families (the ones represented by the left leaning Hostage and Missing Families Forum) is also a major recipient of funding from the government of Qatar. The Richardson Center came onboard as an advisor at no cost and it seems at the behest of their Qatari backers.
So Qatar is either in direct or indirect control of Witkoff, Hamas, and the Hostage Families Forum – essentially rigging the game even before Netanyahu and Trump meet. The Prime Minister knows all of this of course and although he appears to always have another up his sleeve in his ongoing geopolitical chess game, this time his opponent, Qatar has determined the outcome. If this is the case, the best move to make is to refuse to play – clear the board and speak directly to President Trump. He can try explaining that Qatar and Hamas are the same thing and leaving Hamas in power might get Trump’s buddy an extra hotel or two, but it not only endangers the entire Jewish people, but will come back to haunt the US as well. The President appears to like straight talk – no games.
However, history shows that Netanyahu loves playing the game as much as anyone. He often believes he has the best move to make and thinks he can never lose. He may be right. But something tells me this time may be different, because this time his moves may endanger us all.