Trump Grants Qatar A Security Guarantee, Days After Israeli Strike On Hamas

President Donald Trump signed an executive order dated September 29 that promises to defend Qatar in the event of an attack, calling the U.S.-Qatar relationship an “enduring alliance.”

Trump signed the executive order three weeks after Israel killed Hamas leaders who were residing inside a building in Doha, Qatar’s capital. Trump condemned Israel for launching the attack inside Qatar, and the executive order serves as an assurance for the Arab state following the airstrike. The order was dated on the same day that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met with Trump at the White House and called Qatar’s prime minister to apologize for the precision strike.

A White House official told The Daily Wire, “As the President stated, he has assured Qatar that attacks like the recent one will not happen again on their soil. On Monday, President Trump hosted a historic trilateral phone call between the Prime Ministers of Qatar and Israel, which helped to put Israel-Qatar relations on a positive track.”

Trump’s order states that the “United States shall regard any armed attack on the territory, sovereignty, or critical infrastructure of the State of Qatar as a threat to the peace and security of the United States.”

“In the event of such an attack, the United States shall take all lawful and appropriate measures — including diplomatic, economic, and, if necessary, military — to defend the interests of the United States and of the State of Qatar and to restore peace and stability,” the order continues.

Trump’s order recognizes Qatar’s cooperation with the United States military, as the Middle Eastern country hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East.

“The State of Qatar has hosted United States forces, enabled critical security operations, and stood as a steadfast ally in pursuit of peace, stability, and prosperity, both in the Middle East and abroad, including as a mediator that has assisted the United States’ attempts to resolve significant regional and global conflicts,” the order adds. “In recognition of this history, and in light of the continuing threats to the State of Qatar posed by foreign aggression, it is the policy of the United States to guarantee the security and territorial integrity of the State of Qatar against external attack.”

Qatar has also cooperated with the United States on Trump’s 20-point plan for peace in Gaza and has urged Hamas to accept the deal. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani said that Trump is serious about seeing the peace deal through to the end, but added that some aspects of the deal need to be worked out, Axios reported.

“We and Egypt explained to Hamas during yesterday’s meeting that our main goal is stopping the war. Trump’s plan achieves the main goal of ending the war, though some issues in it need clarification and negotiation,” al-Thani said.

While Qatar has sided with the United States on some issues, the Islamic country is far from being a friend of Western ideals. Along with allowing Hamas terrorists to live inside the country, Qatar has been accused of giving safe harbor to one of the masterminds behind the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. Qatar also funnels billions of dollars to American universities while supporting Al Jazeera, a state-funded news network that has been accused of promoting anti-American propaganda on behalf of terrorists.

Trump’s order guaranteeing security for Qatar was met with harsh backlash from some of his closest allies, including conservative radio host Mark Levin and Right-wing activist Laura Loomer.

“If the leadership of Hamas in Qatar is killed by Israel, are we going to war with Israel? Wouldn’t it have been better to condition any military defense of Qatar on some basic requirements?” Levin asked. “For example: [turn over] the Hamas leaders; no more funding of terrorists worldwide: no more funding of Marxist-Islamist groups in the United States. This is the bare minimum.”

Loomer added, “What about assuring our own safety from Qatar? Every single day, Qatar floods our country with billions of $ of funding for radical left, communist, & Islamist causes on college campuses and major institutions. Qatar also financed Iran before they tried to assassinate Trump.”

During his second term, Trump has grown increasingly friendly with Qatar. The president visited the country in May during a trip to the Middle East, and he accepted a 747 jet that the Qatari government gifted to the United States. Trump said he hopes to use the Qatari aircraft in place of Air Force One.