Peloni: The Barbarians are inside the wire, influencing US policy, polititicians, agencies and educational centers. In responding to the need for reform in the US towards an America First agenda, it remains essential that Trump first remove the Qatar first influence emanating from within his closest advisers, such as Steve Witkoff.
MEMRI | Mar 27, 2025
As part of a cabinet reshuffle on November 12, 2024, Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Aal Thani appointed the head of his office, Sa’oud bin Abd Al-Rahman bin Hassan Aal Thani, as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Defense Affairs.[1] Over the years, Sa’oud Aal Thani posted tweets in which he supported Hamas, incited against Israel and criticized the U.S. and President Trump. He also called to increase Qatar’s influence on decision-makers in the U.S.
Below is a sampling of these posts, some of which were recently deleted from his account.
Sa’oud Aal Thani In A 2014 Tweet: We Are All Hamas
During the round of fighting between Israel and Hamas in the summer of 2014, Aal Thani tweeted under the hashtags “We Are All Hamas” and “We Are All Palestine”: “O Jerusalem, awake, awake. We will never succumb to the darkness. O Jerusalem, rise up, rise up. Revive the memory of [Izz Al-Din] Al Qassam. O Jerusalem, shoot flames of fire.”[2]
In 2012, when he served as chair of the Qatar Olympic Committee, Aal Thani hosted Isma’il Haniya, then Hamas’ prime minister in Gaza, and Hamas official Yahya Sinwar, who had been released several months earlier from an Israeli prison and would one day be the architect of the October 7 attack. Tweeting about the visit, Aal Thani referred to Haniya as “brother prime [minister] Isma’il Haniya.”[3]
Aal Thani (in the center) with Hamas officials Isma’il Haniya and Yahya Sinwar (Image: AlArabiya.net, February 15, 2012)
Aal Thani In 2021 Tweet: “We Must Plan How To Influence The Decision-Makers In The U.S.”
In a November 30, 2021 tweet, Aal Thani wrote that Israel “controls” the U.S. and called to increase Qatar’s influence on American decision-makers. He wrote: “Israel’s control of the U.S. is clear. We must plan how to influence the decision-makers in the U.S.” One of his followers wrote in response: “I wish it was that easy,” and Aal Thani replied, “With correct planning and a strong will, everything is possible.”[4]
Aal Thani In 2015 Tweet: The U.S. Destroyed Afghanistan And Iraq, But Failed To Achieve Its Goals
On December 24, 2015, Aal Thani tweeted: “The U.S. destroyed Afghanistan and failed [to achieve its goals], destroyed Iraq [but] failed and handed it over to Iran, [and now] it sits by as Syria is being destroyed by Iran and Russia.”[5]
Aal Thani On U.S. Recognition Of Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital: Jerusalem Is The Capital Of Palestine; “They Have The Balfour Declaration And We Have Allah’s Promise”
On December 6, 2017, the day U.S. President Donald Trump announced the U.S. recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, Aal Thani shared a picture of Jerusalem, which was also the profile banner on his Twitter account, and commented under the hashtags “Jerusalem, Capital of Palestine” and “Jerusalem, the Eternal Capital of Palestine”: “Since the day I opened my Twitter account, this picture has been my [profile] banner, and I will not change it, Allah willing, due to my unshakable belief that Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine. Hinting at Trump’s decision on Jerusalem, he added: “Nobody has the right to give away something he does not own.”[6]
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