From Gaza to Qatar: Is Israel’s strike on Doha part of a 77-year-old security-driven narrative?

Report by Joe Farchakh, English adaptation by Karine Keuchkerian

Israel’s strike on Doha shocked many, but looking back, it fits into the Israeli narrative on which the state was built 77 years ago.

Since its establishment in 1948, Israel has been built around a single identity: to serve as a safe haven for Jews from around the world. Every war, every move, every decision has been rooted in that idea.

That narrative was directly threatened after the October 7, 2023, attack . At that moment, the image of the “safe haven” was shattered before the entire world, and Israel’s main concern became repairing that image and reasserting its security. It turned the conflict into what it calls an existential battle. 

In the name of that narrative, Israel will not stop, remaining focused on convincing Jews worldwide — and especially its own citizens — that it is a safe state.

Security has since dominated Israel’s approach. To illustrate: when the Assad regime in Syria collapsed, the first thing Israel did was destroy the country’s military capabilities and occupy parts of the Golan Heights — in other words, it acted out of security concerns.

In Lebanon, Israel’s obsession is also security. Anyone who thinks a deal with Israel serves its interests is mistaken. For Israel, Hezbollah remains a threat to its security. That is why it has turned the south, Beirut's southern suburbs and the Bekaa into open battlegrounds, striking whenever it feels threatened.

Under the pretext of security, in Gaza, the picture is even darker: mass killings since October 2023 with no horizon for a solution.

In Iraq, it has targeted weapons depots and assassinated leaders linked to Iran, while in Yemen, it has carried out continuous strikes and targeted ministers. 

And in Iran — described by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as the head of the "axis of evil" — Tel Aviv did not hesitate to strike deep inside the country in a 12-day war, claiming to target nuclear facilities and scientific research centers.

People may have thought these were Israel’s only fronts — without forgetting the West Bank — but then came the strike on Qatar. 

The pattern is repeating itself. Israel wants to neutralize any actor that challenges its security and entrench itself as a regional, if not global, power. 

The message is clear: it can strike anyone, anywhere, at any time, without regard for international law or sovereignty, which raises the question: Is Israel still interested in peace agreements and the Abraham Accords? The answer appears to be no. Peace is no longer the goal — force and domination are.