Israel furious at Qatar over fatwa calling for jihad
Qatar ignored calls by Jerusalem to condemn a fatwa, or edict, issued by a major international Muslim organization based in Qatar, which calls for Muslims to wage jihad against Israel
Israel demanded that Qatar publicly condemn a fatwa, or Muslim edict, calling on the faithful to take up arms against Israel in a holy war on Wednesday, were ignored, according to a senior Foreign Ministry official.
"Qatar’s response is disappointing—this is a call for murder," he said. Another source used even harsher language in closed talks.
Israeli officials have expressed outrage over the fatwa, which calling for global jihad against Israel. The fatwa, issued by the International Union of Muslim Scholars (IUMS), a body based in Doha and tied to the regime, calls on Muslims to wage armed jihad against Israel and cancel peace agreements.
This comes as Israel is engaged in negotiations through Qatar with Hamas. Much of the terror organization's officials are based in Qatar, and the IUMS has a long history of support for the Muslim Brotherhood, as well as Hamas, the offshoot Palestinian wing.
The late Egyptian cleric Yusuf al-Qardawi served for many years as the head of the IUMS, and was seen as the spiritual leader of Hamas.