On Feb. 26, chants of “bring them home!” filled the air at 150 S. Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, outside the Consulate General of the State of Qatar in Los Angeles, as Jewish and local leaders, rabbis and community members concerned about the fate of the hostages in Gaza protested the role of Qatar in supporting Hamas.
They waved Israeli flags as well as signs that read, “Qatar Funds and Hosts Hamas: Free the Hostages.”
“I’m a local activist, I’m a community rabbi, concerned for the fate of the hostages,” Rabbi Pini Dunner, one of the organizers of the Feb. 26 demonstration, said in an interview. “And this is what we need to do to bring to the attention of the world that Qatar is not neutral.”
“If we’re going to make sure that we make a dent in the situation, we have to make sure that Qatar feels pain,” Dunner said, explaining the reason for the day’s protest. “Without pain, the hostages will never come back. They’ve got no vested interest to support the hostages, their sympathies lie with Hamas. Their sympathies don’t lie with the cause of the hostages. They must know that we’ve recognized that they are not neutral. They are pernicious actors. And they have to be held to task for that.”
The midday rally drew approximately 70 people and was held as the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza continues. It was organized, specifically, to spotlight the role Qatar, a tiny Arab Gulf country, plays in funding Hamas as well as in hosting senior Hamas leadership.
Since Hamas took more than 240 hostages from Israel on Oct. 7, Qatar has played the part of mediator during hostage negotiations, though many have cast doubt that Qatar is genuinely a neutral actor.
There was no immediate response from the Qatari consulate to the day’s protest, according to Dunner.
Rabbi Daniel Mehlman, who leads Temple Ner Tamid of Downey, attended the afternoon gathering. In the late-1970s, Mehlman spent years living in Israel, during which time he officiated High Holy Days services at a secular kibbutz in the Gaza Envelope. So, when Hamas terrorists massacred southern Israeli villages this past October, he felt the tragedy personally.
“I’m here because Qataris have a big influence, money-wise, and in other ways with everything that’s happening in Gaza,” Mehlman told the Journal. “We want the hostages to come home. What’s happening to them is devastating.”
Beverly Hills City Councilman John Mirisch, who has been outspoken about Qatar’s connections to Hamas, also turned out. Since Oct. 7, Mirisch has led demonstrations outside Beverly Hills’ Maybourne hotel, calling attention to, and denouncing, its Qatari ownership.
“There are some things more important than hotel taxes,” Mirisch said. “Jew-haters should not be welcomed in our community.”
Additional speakers included StandWithUS CEO Roz Rothstein, one of the co-organizers of the conference. Also in attendance were Rabbi Matthew Abelson, executive director of StandWithUs Rabbis United division, and dozens of rabbis from across the country who were in Los Angeles for a StandWithUs Rabbis United gathering.
Referring to Qatar’s attempt to present itself as a neutral actor in negotiations over the hostages and referencing comments Mirisch had made earlier, Cooper put it plainly, saying, “The jig is up.”
Simon Wiesenthal Center Associate Dean and Rabbi Abraham Cooper also came out. Referring to Qatar’s attempt to present itself as a neutral actor in negotiations over the hostages and referencing comments Mirisch had made earlier, Cooper put it plainly, saying, “The jig is up.”
