(New York, N.Y.) – The Counter Extremism Project (CEP) today calls on leading U.S. and international companies participating in the three-day “Bloomberg-powered” Qatar Economic Forum starting today to withdraw their participation even at this late stage. They are directly facilitating Qatar’s long-standing endeavors to whitewash its continuing support for Hamas.
CEP CEO Ambassador Mark Wallace said: “It is plain wrong for anybody to continue whitewashing the Al-Thani regime by lending their credibility to Qatar-hosted international conferences. Seven months after the horrific atrocities of October 7, 2023, the world is now highly cognizant of Qatar’s long and ongoing status as the primary patron to Hamas, the terrorist group responsible for that massacre.
“Even today, Qatar seeks to prop up Hamas in maintaining its grip over Gaza, thus ensuring its ability to plan and perpetrate future acts of barbarism against Israel, as they have openly and repeatedly threatened, while concomitantly prolonging the suffering of ordinary Palestinians who live there.
“Neither CEP, nor increasing segments of the American public and the U.S. Congress, are fooled by Qatar’s unabashed efforts to co-opt Western interests—including through the hosting of lavish self-promoting international conferences that attract global C-Suiters—and exonerate its own malfeasance.”
CEP call on all participants who remain scheduled to speak at the Qatar Economic Forum—including Brookfield Asset Management CEO Bruce Flett, Citadel CEO Kenenth C. Griffin, Edlridge Industries CEO Todd Boehly, Franklin Templeton CEO Jenny Johnson, HSBC Group Chief Executive Noel Quinn, RedBird Capital Partners Managing Partner Gerry Cardinale, and Schneider Electric Executive VP Manish Pant—to refrain from participating in all Qatar-sponsored conferences, until Qatar arrests the Hamas leaders it currently protects, including Haniyeh, resident in Qatar for remand into U.S. or Israeli custody; uses the leverage created by the approximately $2 billion dollars disbursed by Qatar to Hamas to ensure the immediate release of every single hostage unharmed; and, demonstrates its sustained commitment to sanctions enforcement and counterterrorism.
To read CEP’s letters to Qatar Economic Forum Speakers, click here.
To read The Times’ report on CEP’s call to boycott Qatar’s London hotels, click here.
To read The Wall Street Journal’s report on UANI and CEP’s previous call to action, please click here.
To read The Telegraph’s report citing CEP’s Chief Executive Officer Mark Wallace’s call for a Qatari asset freeze until it surrenders Hamas leadership to the U.S. and/or Israel, please click here.
To read The Washington Post’s report citing CEP CEO Mark Wallace on Qatar’s role in harboring Hamas, please click here.
To read CEP’s report, Qatar: Extremism and Terrorism, please click here.
To read CEP’s HARBORS Campaign Report on Qatar, please click here.