U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee delivered a forceful defense of Israel’s recent precision strike in Doha, pushing back against Qatar’s accusations and sharply criticizing what he described as a manufactured double standard imposed on the Jewish state.

In a newly released interview, Huckabee made clear that Israel did not attack Qatar. Instead, he explained, Israel launched a single, highly targeted missile aimed at a senior Hamas figure directly involved in the October 7, 2023 massacre of Israeli civilians. The strike, carried out in September 2025, eliminated multiple Hamas operatives hiding in Doha but also caused collateral civilian casualties—something Israel publicly acknowledged and investigated.

“Israel did not attack Qatar,” Huckabee reiterated. “It launched a missile at a person who was somewhat responsible for the murder of Israelis. There was one missile aimed at one person.” He emphasized that this was a counterterrorism operation against individuals responsible for killing innocent Israelis, not a strike against a sovereign state.

The ambassador then drew a pointed comparison: if Israel is expected to apologize for targeting terrorist leaders shielded by Qatar, then by the same standard, the United States would owe Pakistan an apology for eliminating Osama bin Laden while Pakistani authorities were actively sheltering him. “You cannot impose one standard on Israel and another on other countries,” Huckabee said, highlighting the broader geopolitical inconsistency.

Qatar, which has long hosted Hamas leaders and provided them safe haven, condemned the strike as “state terrorism” and demanded a formal Israeli apology. The Biden administration initially pressured Jerusalem to issue one, sparking backlash from U.S. lawmakers, Israeli officials, and regional analysts who argued that Israel’s action was both lawful and justified.

Huckabee’s remarks underscore Washington’s renewed commitment to treating Israeli counterterror operations with the same legitimacy afforded to U.S. actions against international terror groups. They also reflect a widening divide between nations confronting global terrorism and those enabling or harboring its leadership.

For Israel, the strike represented a continuation of its doctrine of reaching Hamas operatives wherever they hide. For many observers, Huckabee’s comments signaled a necessary correction in the international conversation: acknowledging that a targeted action against a terrorist commander is not equivalent to an attack on the host nation that shields him.

As diplomatic tensions continue, Huckabee’s firm position reinforces a core message—Israel exercised its right to defend its citizens, and no nation should be held to a higher or harsher standard for confronting terrorism.