‘Searching for scapegoats’: Qatar fires back at Netanyahu after UNGA speech

Qatar’s delegation seats were empty during the speech of the leader of the Israeli Occupation government.Qatar has “categorically rejected” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s allegations, made during his address to the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, that Doha was running a campaign to influence global public opinion against Israel.“This continuing rhetoric against Qatar is nothing more than an attempt to divert attention from the atrocities committed by his government in the occupied Palestinian territories and their grave humanitarian consequences,” Dr Majed Al Ansari, Advisor to Qatar’s Prime Minister and Official Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a post on X.Al Ansari dismissed that a global shift in public opinion — particularly among young people — could be reduced to an influence campaign, calling it “an insult to the awareness and judgment of a generation that is witnessing, in real time, what is taking place on the ground”.Netanyahu accused Qatar of spending “untold billions” to spread “lies” about Israel, in an address to the 81st UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.The accusation comes despite Qatar’s long-standing role as a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, including brokering the ceasefire and captives-release deal in 2025, a role that was praised by the international community. Qatar’s delegation seats were empty during the speech of the leader of the Israeli Occupation government.#Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu was booed as he took the podium at the @UN General Assembly on Thursday, with dozens of delegations walking out of the hall in protest. Visibly upset Netanyahu responded by calling those who left “moral cowards” and urged any others who… pic.twitter.com/Irasv0aurK— Doha News (@dohanews) September 24, 2026 Al Ansari took direct aim at Netanyahu’s standing on the world stage, noting that Israeli politicians “increasingly find themselves addressing empty halls,” adding that if Israel wanted to be viewed differently, it should “begin by changing their policies, stopping breaches of and respecting international law”. Al Ansari said attempts to hold Qatar responsible for a global shift in public opinion were “no longer persuasive,” describing the repeated attacks as “an effort to divert attention from political responsibility for policies and practices on the ground, while exploiting Qatar as part of domestic political calculations”.Netanyahu’s UNGA address comes ahead of Israeli elections scheduled for 27 October, which analysts say have intensified pressure on him to deflect domestic criticism.