Qatar faced extraordinary diplomatic pressure to normalize relations with Israel during the 2017-2021 Gulf blockade, according to emails from convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein released by the US Department of Justice over the weekend.
The documents reveal Epstein positioned himself as an intermediary during the crisis, telling Qatari businessman Jabor Yousef Jassim Al Thani that Qatar needed to "sing and dance" for Israel to get on then-President Donald Trump's good side—specifically citing India's Prime Minister Modi as a model.
"The Indian Prime minister modi took advice. and danced and sang in israel for the benefit of the US president," Epstein wrote in an email obtained through Department of Justice document releases. He suggested Qatar should either recognize Israel or "consider putting 1 billion into a fund to benefit the victims of terrorist acts."
In Qatar, as among small but wealthy states, strategic positioning and soft power create influence beyond military might. Yet the emails reveal the small emirate faced intense pressure from informal diplomatic channels during its greatest geopolitical crisis—the blockade imposed by Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt in June 2017.
The Gulf blockade, which lasted until January 2021, accused Qatar of supporting terrorism and maintaining close ties with Iran—charges Doha consistently denied. The crisis saw land, sea, and air routes cut off, forcing Qatar to develop new supply chains and deepen relationships with Turkey and Iran.
Epstein's emails simultaneously reached out to Anas al-Rasheed, a Kuwaiti professor, suggesting that Turkey's military presence in Qatar prevented armed intervention. The financier, who maintained connections across business and political circles before his 2019 arrest and death, presented himself as a potential mediator between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and former Qatari Prime Minister Hamad bin Jassim.
Most remarkably, the documents confirm Epstein successfully brokered a December 2018 meeting at London's exclusive One Hyde Park between former Israeli military commander Ehud Barak and the former Qatari Prime Minister. The meeting discussed establishing a "security company," representing the kind of Track II diplomacy—unofficial negotiations conducted outside formal governmental channels—that often occurs during regional standoffs.
The revelations underscore the complex informal pressures Qatar navigated during the blockade. While Doha publicly emphasized sovereignty and refused to compromise on foreign policy independence, the emirate faced behind-the-scenes lobbying to fundamentally reorient its regional relationships—particularly regarding Israel and Palestine.
Qatar has historically maintained a distinctive position in Gulf politics, hosting both the forward headquarters of US Central Command and maintaining dialogue with groups like Hamas and the Taliban. Its state-funded media network Al Jazeera has amplified Arab Spring movements and Palestinian voices, creating tensions with neighboring monarchies preferring stability over democratization.
The blockade ultimately ended through Kuwait and US mediation in the Al-Ula declaration of January 2021, with Qatar preserving its core foreign policy orientation. However, the Epstein emails reveal how informal channels and unconventional intermediaries attempted to leverage the crisis to push fundamental shifts in Qatari diplomatic positioning.
The documents' release comes as Gulf states navigate a transformed regional landscape, with the Abraham Accords having normalized relations between Israel and several Arab states—though not Qatar. Doha has maintained its position as a mediator across regional divides, most recently playing central roles in Afghanistan peace talks and negotiations over Gaza.
For researchers of Gulf diplomacy, the emails provide rare documentation of the shadow diplomacy and informal pressure tactics that accompany formal diplomatic crises. They reveal how even convicted criminals with elite connections can position themselves as intermediaries during international standoffs—and how small states must navigate not just official channels but also these murkier informal pressures.
The Qatari government has not issued a statement regarding the Epstein emails. Jabor Yousef Jassim Al Thani, the businessman contacted by Epstein, could not be reached for comment.
