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<h1>Senior Jewish leader: Qatar must choose between US and allies or Iran  </h1>


         

 





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                                Qatar should not continue a double language policy which is 
ineffective in hiding its support for terrorism. (Courtesy of: The 
Israel Forever Foundation) 
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                <span class="gmail-source">Staff writer, Al Arabiya English</span>
                <span class="gmail-caption">Wednesday, 11 April 2018</span>
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                <p>A senior Jewish leader said that US officials will most likely 
discuss with Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad his country’s policy in using 
“double language” with several Arab and international players.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">Ron
 Halber, executive director of the Jewish Community Relations Council, 
said it was certain that Tamim’s meeting with Trump, which occurred on 
Tuesday, took place under unfavorable circumstances for the emir.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">Speaking
 to Al Arabiya English, Halber said: “It is time for Qatar to understand
 that there is no longer any hope for it except to line up with the 
United States and its allies. It should not continue a double language 
policy which is ineffective in hiding its support for terrorism.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">“Terrorist
 organizations wouldn’t have been able to continue their operations 
without the support they received from Qatar – operations which are 
destabilizing the Middle East and target Israel,” said Halber.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">“I
 believe that while the international community was on the way to 
resolving the Middle East peace process, Qatar, as usual, supported 
Hamas which only made matters worse than they were,” he added.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">“As
 long as Hamas refuses to hand over the bodies of the two Israeli 
soldiers, Iran will never be able to help the Jews recover them. 
However, Qatar can, so why doesn’t it?”</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">He
 said that the “new American administration, after appointing a new 
foreign minister and national security adviser, is breaking a policy of 
silence towards Qatar. At this stage, the Emir of Qatar must decide 
whether he wants to become a true ally of the United States and Israel 
or continue to support terrorism.”</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">He 
added: “Logically, he will not be able to do both at the same time, 
because we are tired of just talking while Qatar chooses to implement 
completely unhelpful policies. I call on President Trump and the White 
House to force Qatar to sever its ties with Hamas and all militant 
organizations.</p> <p class="gmail-hide-in-mobile">“I also call on the people of the Middle East, whatever their religion, to stand in the face of terrorism and its supporters.”</p></div></div>

<br clear="all"><br>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<br><br> Harold F. Schiffman<br><br>Professor Emeritus of <br> Dravidian Linguistics and Culture <br>Dept. of South Asia Studies                     <br>University of Pennsylvania<br>Philadelphia, PA 19104-6305<br><br>Phone:  (215) 898-7475<br>Fax:  (215) 573-2138                                      <br><br>Email:  <a href="mailto:haroldfs@gmail.com" target="_blank">haroldfs@gmail.com</a><br><a href="http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/" target="_blank">http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~haroldfs/</a>    <br><br>-------------------------------------------------</div>
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