Ernst Demands State Department Review Qatar’s Designation

WASHINGTON – As Qatar continues to host Hamas, a designated terrorist organization holding Americans hostage, U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) joined legislation to force the U.S. Department of State to review Qatar’s designation as a major non-NATO ally and determine whether it serves our national interest to maintain it.

This bill would also evaluate if Qatar has exerted any and all leverage it has over Hamas to secure the release of United States hostages from Gaza.

“We must hold Hamas accountable for the American lives it took during its brutal attack on Israel. As these Iran-backed terrorists continue to hold our citizens hostage, American blood is still on Hamas’s hands. There should be no question if our allies support us, which is why I’m demanding a full evaluation of Qatar’s status to ensure our major non-NATO ally is not actively working against our security interests,” said Ernst.

Background:

In the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks on Israel by Iran-backed Hamas, Ernst met with the hostage families in Israel and has remained in close contact with them.

In October 2023, Ernst led a bipartisan group of her colleagues urging President Biden to focus his full attention on freeing American hostages taken by Hamas. In December, Ernst led a bipartisan letter calling on Biden to leverage the U.S. diplomatic relationship with Qatar to secure the immediate release of the remaining hostages.

In January 2024, she returned from leading a bipartisan, bicameral delegation to Egypt, Israel, Qatar, and Bahrain solely focused on securing the immediate release of American hostages and continues her work to bring them home.

Last month, after reports that Hamas refused the latest U.S.-brokered hostage offer, Ernst called on the State of Qatar to immediately expel all members of Hamas’s political office currently residing in Doha.

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