
The Qatar Weekly Update (QWU) – Part Of The Qatar Monitor Project (QMP) – No. 6, February 14, 2025
Cartoon in Qatari daily: Trump and Netanyahu hold Auschwitz-style gate stating "Trump's plan for Gaza"
2. Congressional Briefing Renews Concerns Over Security Holes In Visa Waiver Program: "Criticisms of allowing Qatar into the VWP primarily center around concerns about potential security risks due to the nation's complex geopolitical situation, including its ties to certain groups considered terrorist organizations, and the possibility that the ESTA system may not adequately screen all potential travelers from Qatar, potentially allowing individuals with concerning backgrounds to enter the US without further scrutiny" – Biometric Update, October 29, 2024.
3. MEMRI Special Dispatch: With New Jordan-Gaza Air Bridge, Qatar Provides Unconditional Aid To Hamas-Ruled Gaza Yet Again, February 11, 2025.
4. "Doing Everything They Can": Trump Voices Appreciation Of Qatar's Mediation Role, Times of Israel, February 5, 2025, Times of Israel, February 5, 2025.
5. "Qatar is Hamas, and Hamas is Qatar" – Gatestone Institute, February 11, 2025.
6. Report: PMO Leaks Suspect Eli Feldstein Did PR Work For Qatar While Working For Netanyahu's Office, Times of Israel, February 10, 2025.
*Yigal Carmon is President and Founder of MEMRI.
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