In a candid and pointed interview to Firstpost Managing Editor Palki Sharma, Israel’s Ambassador to India Rubin Reuben Azhar on Thursday lashed out at the Qatari Emir’s recent remarks accusing Israel of committing “collective genocide” against the Palestinian people. The ambassador, visibly frustrated by the accusations, did not hold back, labelling the Emir’s comments as yet another example of Qatar’s “famous hypocrisy” which he viewed as the Arab nations’ dual-faced foreign policy regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Earlier, Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani said on Thursday said the crisis in West Asia is a “collective genocide” and that his country has always warned of Israel’s “impunity”. “It has become crystal clear that what is happening is genocide, in addition to turning the Gaza Strip into an area unfit for human habitation, in preparation for displacement,” he said during the Asia Cooperation Dialogue summit in Doha.

Reacting to the statement, Ambassador Azhar said, “Qataris are famous for hypocrisy. On the one hand, they are leaning on American the American army to defend them. And on the other hand, they are attacking the West and American and Democratic values by promulgating their messages through Al-Jazeera channel.”

The Israeli ambassador criticised Qatar’s overall foreign policy as being inconsistent, especially its relationship with Western countries.

The envoy further pointed to the broader geopolitical context, particularly the shifting dynamics in the region. Countries like the UAE and Bahrain have taken steps toward normalisation with Israel, while Qatar is yet to make any such move.