Netanyahu's Apology Drama Reveals US-Israeli Arrogance and Isolation
Netanyahu’s rare apology over the Doha strike exposes Washington’s complicity, Tel Aviv’s recklessness, and deepening regional backlash
USA, PUREWILAYAH.COM – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s rare apology to Qatar over a deadly strike in Doha has ignited fierce backlash at home, exposed the reckless nature of Tel Aviv’s aggression, and underscored Washington’s complicity in shielding Israeli crimes while demanding Arab compliance.
A Humiliating Climbdown
During his meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday, Netanyahu expressed “deep regret” for a September 9 missile strike that violated Qatari sovereignty and killed a Qatari serviceman.
The White House confirmed that Netanyahu pledged “Israel” would refrain from repeating such an attack. Doha reportedly conditioned its participation in renewed indirect negotiations with Hamas on a formal Israeli apology.
The incident — an Israeli attempt to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar — instead killed lower-ranking officials and a Qatari officer, sparking outrage across the Arab world.
Far from strengthening Israeli deterrence, the fiasco isolated Tel Aviv even further and exposed Washington’s willingness to cover up a blatant act of state terrorism against a sovereign Arab country.
Anger in the Knesset
The apology drew condemnation across Israel’s fractured political spectrum.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich denounced Netanyahu’s “disgraceful groveling” before a state he called a supporter of “terrorism,” while Yair Golan of the Israeli Democrats blasted Netanyahu for humiliating himself before Qatar’s prime minister instead of apologizing to Israeli citizens for October 7.
Israeli journalist Ben Caspit ridiculed Netanyahu as a serial apologist:
To King Hussein after the botched assassination attempt on Khaled Mashaal in Amman.
To Erdogan after the Mavi Marmara massacre.
Now to Qatar after the Doha strike.
“All that’s left for him,” Caspit quipped, “is to apologize to the people and leave us alone.”
Meanwhile, extremist Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir openly praised the Doha attack, calling it “important, just, and morally unparalleled.”
His statement revealed the true face of Israel’s ruling elite: even when forced into apologies abroad, they continue to glorify crimes against civilians.
U.S. Complicity and Arab Condemnation
The White House framed Netanyahu’s apology as part of Trump’s effort to advance a “comprehensive deal” on Gaza, but Washington’s role was clear: it sought to neutralize Arab anger at the cost of Qatar’s dignity while ensuring continued Israeli impunity.
By describing the killing of a Qatari officer as “unintentional,” the U.S. whitewashed what was in fact a deliberate violation of sovereignty — another entry in the long record of American-Israeli aggression against the Arab world.
A Crisis of Legitimacy
Netanyahu’s apology has not healed diplomatic wounds; it has deepened them.
For Arab publics, the Doha strike confirms that neither Israel nor its U.S. sponsor respects the sovereignty of their neighbors. For Israelis, the apology is seen as weakness.
What remains undeniable is that the U.S. and Israel, despite their rhetoric of “security” and “stability,” continue to operate as serial violators of international law — their arrogance now forcing them into humiliating retreats even before states they once dismissed. (PW)