Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is greeted by Qatari Minister of State Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, in Doha, Qatar, Aug. 20, 2024. Photo: REUTERS/Kevin Mohatt/Pool

The US House of Representatives recently passed the DETERRENT Act, aiming to increase transparency about foreign funding in American universities.

While the bill targets foreign financial influence from adversaries like China, Iran, North Korea, and Russia, one critical country was notably absent from this list: Qatar.

While Qatar presents itself as an ally of the US, its financial influence on US institutions should have raised red flags — especially when it comes to its support for anti-Israel narratives and its ties to extremist groups.

This oversight isn’t just a diplomatic blunder; it undermines the safety and integrity of American interests. The DETERRENT Act was designed to protect US universities from foreign powers that manipulate US policies and public opinion. Qatar, despite its ostensible ally status, has been using its financial influence to shape US academia, subtly pushing a narrative that often runs counter to American and Israeli security interests.

Qatar’s financial footprint in higher education is large. Universities such as Yale, Harvard, and Georgetown have received millions of dollars from the Gulf nation, yet much of this funding has been underreported or not fully disclosed. For example, Yale received nearly $16 million from Qatar, but only $284,668 was officially reported. This lack of transparency about Qatar’s role in shaping academic discourse should be concerning, especially given Qatar’s backing of extremist groups like Hamas and its indirect undermining of US policy in the region.

Qatar’s influence doesn’t just stop at universities. The country funds think tanks, media outlets, and cultural institutions across the US. Its state-run network, Al Jazeera, has long been a platform for anti-Western, anti-Israel rhetoric, influencing public opinion both in the US and globally. While Qatar’s financial investments may appear benign, they are a calculated effort to shape the narrative on Middle Eastern politics, often casting Israel in a negative light and presenting Qatar as a neutral actor in a region rife with conflict.

By omitting Qatar from the DETERRENT Act, Congress has essentially overlooked the more covert influence Qatar wields in shaping American perceptions and policies. While Iran and China are obvious threats to US national security and are appropriately targeted by the bill, Qatar’s financial influence operates more insidiously.

Qatar’s ties to terrorism are another significant factor that should not be ignored. The country’s financial support for groups like Hamas, which advocates for the destruction of Israel, makes it incompatible with American and Israeli interests. Yet, Qatar continues to be treated as a strategic ally, partly because of its role in hosting the US military’s largest base in the region. But military cooperation should not be a free pass for Qatar to continue influencing US academic institutions and shaping policy in its favor, especially when its values run counter to those of the US and its closest allies.

The recent vote in Congress against Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)’s amendments targeting Israel — a move aimed at isolating Israel by adding it to the list of countries of concern — shows bipartisan support for Israel and a clear rejection of efforts to undermine the US-Israel alliance. Israel plays a critical role in countering regional threats and sharing vital intelligence that enhances US security. However, the DETERRENT Act still fails to address Qatar’s under-the-radar influence in American universities, leaving US interests vulnerable to manipulation.

For lawmakers, it’s essential that they recognize Qatar’s role in shaping public opinion and policy through financial means. Qatar’s growing influence in the academic world poses a serious challenge to US transparency and national security.

In the long run, leaving Qatar out of the DETERRENT Act sends the wrong message to both domestic and foreign actors. US interests and Israel’s security should always come first. Congress must rethink its approach to foreign influence in US education and ensure that Qatar’s financial ties to US institutions are held to the same standards of transparency as those of adversarial nations.

Amine Ayoub, a fellow at the Middle East Forum, is a policy analyst and writer based in Morocco. Follow him on X: @amineayoubx