Rubio visits Israel and Qatar to shore up squabbling US allies

In a week dominated by U.S. domestic politics in the wake of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk’s assassination, Secretary of State Marco Rubio traveled to Israel and Qatar to navigate the fallout from an Israeli strike in Doha, Qatar, targeting Hamas officials.

His mission comes as the U.S. reasserts its backing for Israel’s war with Hamas amid tensions with a key Gulf partner with which the U.S. is trying to finalize a defense pact.

As Rubio departed the Gulf, the message was clear: Political violence, whether by Hamas or a homegrown terrorist targeting Kirk, are different aspects of the same aggressive leftist agenda to silence critics.

Rubio met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday and reiterated U.S. support for the war against Hamas.

“What happened on October 7^th [Hamas attacks] was an act of unparalleled barbarism, and what’s happened since then has been repeated acts of unparalleled barbarism on the part of Hamas,” Rubio told the press. “Hamas needs to cease to exist as an armed element.”

Netanyahu described the U.S.-Israel partnership as vital in the ongoing campaign against Hamas, which has intensified.

“America has no better ally than Israel,” said the Israeli prime minister. “It’s obvious that Israel has no better ally than America. You’ve been a remarkable partner, a remarkable, our alliance, I think, has been a force for ages.”

The Rubio visit came just days after Israeli jets targeted a Hamas command center in Doha, Qatar, killing senior Hamas terrorists.

The strike placed Washington in a delicate position.

Israel is America’s closest Middle Eastern ally, while Qatar is a reliable partner in facilitating indirect negotiations with Hamas over hostages and ceasefires.

Rubio acknowledged this balancing act, saying the U.S. is hoping Qatar will remain engaged in its mediation role despite the attack.

From Israel, Rubio flew to Qatar, where he sought to reassure its leaders of America’s continued commitment to increasing defense ties with the Gulf emirate.

U.S. and Qatari officials confirmed they are close to finalizing an expanded defense cooperation agreement, which Rubio described as being “on the verge” of completion.

Rubio met with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss the agreement, according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al Ansari, reported Reuters.

Qatar, for its part, condemned the Israeli strike but has not withdrawn from its role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, said the news wire.

For both the U.S. and Qatar, a defense agreement would be a step towards a more stable Middle East.

Rubio publicly urged Qatari officials to continue hosting negotiations aimed at securing hostage releases and easing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza but acknowledged that peace with Hamas may be impossible.

“As much as we may wish that there be a peaceful, diplomatic way to end it, and we’ll continue to explore and be dedicated to it, we also have to be prepared for the possibility that’s not going to happen,” said Rubio, according to Reuters.

Even as Rubio sought to stabilize America’s Middle Eastern relationships, he also faced a fast-developing domestic challenge with international implications.

The assassination of Kirk last week in Utah found its way to the press conference with Netanyahu in Israel.

“Democracy is supposed to be the nonviolent resolution of conflict within a society – nonviolent resolution, where decisions are made not by bullets but by ballots,” said Netanyahu of Kirk’s critics celebrating the activist’s death. “And these people increasingly are more and more violent. And the more they speak of democracy, the more they threaten.”

Rubio and the State Department responded by announcing the cancellation of visas for foreign nationals who praised or justified the killing.

Rubio warned that those foreigners on U.S. soil who are found to have celebrated Kirk’s assassination should prepare to be deported.

“America will not host foreigners who celebrate the death of our fellow citizens,” said Rubio via X.

The crackdown comes alongside public and private consequences for U.S. military personnel and ordinary citizens who engaged in similar celebratory posts.

Image Credit: Marco Rubio (via X).