(New York, N.Y.) — Today Counter Extremism Project (CEP) Chief Executive Officer Ambassador Mark D. Wallace and CEP President Frances F. Townsend call on all lobbying and public relations firms to cease working with or representing the Government of Qatar until it detains the Hamas leadership responsible for the October 7 massacre in Israel and remands them into U.S., Israeli, or appropriate third party custody.
Ambassador Wallace and former U.S. Homeland Security Advisor Frances F. Townsend stated:
“Qatar’s Al-Jazeera Media Network is already present in 430 million homes and 150 countries, including the United States. American lobbying firms should not be amplifying Qatari propaganda nor carrying water for Doha -- no matter how well-compensated. Qatar promotes certain values but fails to practice them.
Qatar spends millions each year on a Washington influence campaign that tries to whitewash its role as a sponsor of terror. No responsible firm should participate in this campaign as long as Qatar refuses to carry out justice against those harboring the perpetrators of October 7.
Lobbying and PR firms must clarify whether they are still representing Qatar, and whether they have asked Qatar to detain the Hamas leadership that currently sit in luxury in Doha, or to immediately secure the release of Hamas’s more than 200 hostages.
No responsible person can morally do business with Qatar and the Al Thani Royal Family as long as they continue to harbor terrorists.”
Qatar is complicit in the harboring of Hamas leadership, the promotion of their terrorism activities, and the proliferation of their vile antisemitism.
Qatar’s immediate response to the October 7 slaughter was to “hold Israel solely responsible for the ongoing escalation [i.e. the massacre of Israeli women and children by Hamas] due to its ongoing violations.” Qatar’s leaders also strongly disputed Hamas’s well-documented and undeniable brutality, with Israeli delegations required to convince their counterparts “that this was a massacre, that … they butchered us.”
Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh celebrated the October 7 massacre from his office in Doha, as did his predecessor, Khaled Meshaal. On October 11, Haniyeh called for supporters around the world to join Hamas in its barbaric violence in a video address aired on the Qatari-owned and controlled network, Al Jazeera. Since the attacks, Qatar has hosted at least two meetings on October 14 and October 31 between Hamas leadership and its main sponsor, the Islamic Republic of Iran.
It is unacceptable that American firms should do business with Qatar while it accommodates, defends, and provides cover for Haniyeh, the Osama bin Laden of our moment.
According to Open Secrets, the Qatari government and Qatari Embassy in Washington hired no fewer than ten U.S. lobbying and communications firms in 2022 alone:
- Lumen8 Advisors
- BRG Government Affairs
- SGR Government Relations & Lobbying
- Decision Sciences Corp
- Nelson, Mullins, et al
- Becker & Poliakoff
- Blueprint Advisors
- Mercury Public Affairs
- Rubin Turnbull & Assoc
- Venable LLP
These firms must confirm they have ended association with the Qatari government and the Al Thani royal family, who are providing safe haven for the perpetrators of one of the most heinous and violent acts of savagery in living memory.
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.