Colin Clarke on Hamas Targeted in Qatar: When Israel Carries Out Attacks Like This, It‘s Emasculating to Trump

Sanchez: “Notable also that literally, just moments ago, a video statement was shared by the IDF saying that the people that they targeted today in Qatar repeatedly sabotaged every attempt at negotiations. This Israeli military chief added that the IDF would continue to carry out its mission and settle accounts with our enemies. I’m curious, Colin, when you hear the White House asked about whether the Abraham Accords are now at risk of falling apart and you don’t hear a direct answer, but rather you hear that President Trump sees this as an opportunity for peace. I mean, are the Abraham Accords now potentially at risk?”

CLARKE: “I think absolutely. I mean, I was having that conversation earlier today with colleagues when we first learned of the strike. That’s one of the first things that came up. And I think, you know, the president’s right to be frustrated because, frankly, when Israel carries out an attack like this on the sovereign soil of a U.S. ally, it’s emasculating to the president. I think there’s few things worse to him than being shown up. And so there’s got to be clear frustration there with Netanyahu, and given Trump’s kind of obsession, if you will, over a Nobel Peace Prize, you know, and holding up the Abraham Accords as this gold standard, with those now potentially in risk — at risk, you’ve got to understand that within the kind of upper echelon of the Trump Administration, there’s probably a lot of frustration with the way that the Israelis are kind of acting with impunity throughout the region, launching strikes in Syria, Lebanon, Iran, Qatar. You know, this is just what we’re seeing now with Israel as a regional hegemon completely unchecked.”

KEILAR: “A lot of frustration we are sensing today in that briefing for sure. Colin Clarke, thank you.”