Europeupdated 1h ago3 min read
Le Monde Study Says Qatar Ran Three-Year Campaign With Racist Ads Targeting France
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A three-year campaign targeted France with thousands of racist and anti-Islam ads. The study ties Qatar to the campaign and possible Israeli private-sector links.
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Qatar-linked influence in Europe
A research study published by Le Monde said a campaign targeting France and other European countries ran for three years with thousands of racist and anti-Islam messages, and the study said the campaign generated at least 830 million views on YouTube, TikTok, and Facebook. The study said the campaign budget was likely exceeding 10 million euros and described the operation as one of the largest documented campaigns of influence and disinformation in Europe. The study said the campaign materials included satirical clips under the name “Grand Theft Qatar,” and it said the ads portrayed Doha as supporting terrorism and driving illegal migration toward Europe.
The study said France topped the list of targeted countries with about 120 million views and said researchers linked the timing of the ads to election dates, including the run-up to the 2024 European Parliament elections. The study said the pattern reappeared in Germany in 2026, when ads stopped on the eve of local elections in Saxony-Anhalt, where the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) made clear gains.
Israel election probe
Israel’s Central Election Committee asked Shin Bet to investigate “grave suspicions” of alleged foreign interference in the elections, and the complaint referenced “funding from foreign entities acting against the interests of Israel.” Noam Sohlberg, the president of the Central Election Committee and a Supreme Court judge, wrote that “given that they involve foreign entities — there is an obligation to investigate them thoroughly,” while offering no specific details. Likud said the revelations were “an unprecedented serious matter” and used the moment to reiterate its charges of “fraud” in the vote of Palestinian citizens of Israel, aimed at “stealing” a supposed victory for the prime minister.
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari called the accusations “ridiculous and dangerous” and said they were part of “one more disinformation campaign, whose objective is to drag Qatar into the Israeli political disputes after this week’s elections.” President Isaac Herzog urged a thorough investigation in a “delicate moment,” while warning that “we must not stigmatize an entire community that has sought to exercise its right to vote and participate actively in democracy.”
Denials and political fallout
Qatar denied interfering in the elections held this week in Israel or financing activities to influence their outcome, and Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Majed al Ansari said, “We categorically deny the accusations that Qatar interfered in the Israeli elections or funded activities aimed at influencing the result.” Al Ansari accused certain Israeli politicians and their media contacts of pushing a disinformation campaign to involve Qatar in Israel’s internal political disputes after the elections, and he said, “If one were to believe these claims, it would seem Qatar would own all of Israel.” The Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that complaints included suspicions of funds from Qatar aimed at increasing electoral participation of Israel’s Arab communities, and the Likud party said it presented “hundreds of testimonies and evidence” to security services and the CEC.
Israeli police rejected Likud’s accusations that Arab parties were trying to “steal the elections” and said there was no evidence to support them, while Mansour Abbas denied that his party was tied to the alleged irregularities. The Central Election Committee’s request to Shin Bet and the dispute over alleged Qatari funding left Israel’s election process under scrutiny as the recount continued and as Qatar insisted it would not be diverted from its diplomatic and humanitarian efforts or its role as a mediator.