Qatar promises Jewish leaders not to broadcast film on Zionist lobby

Some officials in Qatar reportedly promised a Jewish American delegation to Doha late last year not to broadcast a documentary about the Israeli lobby in Washington, five sources close to pro-Israeli circles in the US told the Haaretz newspaper.

The reason being attributed to this promise is Qatar's plan to improve its image, especially in the United States, following the boycott by Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt in June last year.

READ ALSO: Why are prominent Jewish figures visiting Qatar?

The sources said to the newspaper that Qatari leaders have promised not to air the documentary. However, some pro-Israeli American organizations received messages from Al Jazeera last week stating that their staff will be appearing in it, the sources added.

The incident alerted the organizations and pushed them to question whether Doha has changed its decision. The documentary is based on the work of an investigative journalist who, in 2016, managed to access a pro-Israeli institution. The journalist also photographed some of its employees.

READ ALSO: Qatar says Israeli fans welcome in World Cup 2022 should Israel qualify

As per the letter, the Qatari channel has reportedly given the concerned organizations three weeks to reply. The Qatari leaders’ position is not clear in the messages on whether they are merely testing the waters or maneuvering for a compromise. As of now, the price of not broadcasting is not clear.

According to the newspaper, the documentary was announced last October.

This article is also available in Arabic.