> the same is true of netanyahus longstanding policy of bolstering hamas rule in gaza, including encouraging israels de facto ally qatar to finance the terrorist organization. while the much-respected israeli newspaper haaretz has covered this issue, it has been largely ignored by the international press. according to the times, as far back as december 2012, mr. netanyahu told the prominent israeli journalist dan margalit that it was important to keep hamas strong, as a counterweight to the palestinian authority in the west bank. the same is true of netanyahus longstanding policy of bolstering hamas rule in gaza, including encouraging israels de facto ally qatar to finance the terrorist organization. while the much-respected israeli newspaper haaretz has covered this issue, it has been largely ignored by the international press. just weeks before hamas launched the deadly oct. 7 attacks on israel, the head of mossad arrived in doha, qatar, for a meeting with qatari officials. for years, the qatari government had been sending millions of dollars a month into the gaza stripmoney that helped prop up the hamas government there. prime minister benjamin netanyahu of israel not only tolerated those payments, he had encouraged them. according to the times, israeli intelligence agents traveled into gaza with a qatari official carrying suitcases filled with cash to disperse money. retired israeli general shlomo brom described the logic of netanyahus position: one effective way to prevent a two-state solution is to divide between the gaza strip and the west bank. if the extremist hamas ruled gaza, then the palestinian authoritya compromised comprador government with a tenuous hold on the west bankwould be further weakened.  in 2015, bezalel smotrich, currently the finance minister in netanyahus government, summed up the strategy by stating, the palestinian authority is a burden. hamas is an asset.
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