A new report reveals that Qatar invested more than $65 million in efforts to influence public and private education systems in the United States, allegedly promoting educational content that normalizes terrorism and undermines support for Israel.
The Jewish Insider published details on Wednesday from a report by the Institute for the Study of Global Antisemitism and Policy (ISGAP).
According to the report, over the past 17 years, Doha allegedly operated an extensive influence network through the Qatar Foundation International. The funding reportedly extended beyond universities and reached multiple levels of the American education system - including elementary schools, high schools, national education networks, and official teacher-training programs aimed at shaping the perspectives of future generations of American students.
The report alleges that Qatari-backed programs promoted educational materials questioning Israel’s legitimacy as a Jewish and democratic state. It also claims the initiatives sought to undermine regional peace efforts and normalization agreements between Israel and Arab states, including the Abraham Accords.
According to the findings, some educational content allegedly portrayed Islamist terrorist organizations in a more legitimate light or as “freedom fighters."
The report further claims that Qatar deliberately concentrated resources in strategically and electorally significant U.S. states with large immigrant populations in order to ease the spread of these messages.
In response to the findings, ISGAP called on the American administration to designate the Qatar Foundation as a foreign agent - a legal classification that would effectively prohibit it from spending money on or funding educational institutions in the United States.
The revelations sparked strong reactions on Capitol Hill from lawmakers in both major parties.
Democratic Congressman Jared Moskowitz said: “Under no circumstances should a foreign government be allowed to shape the educational materials of American students."
Senior Republican Congresswoman Elise Stefanik described the report’s findings in one word: “Shocking."