In a new escalation of the ongoing controversy over suspected financial ties, the two Republican members of the U.S. Congress, Elise Stefanik and Tom Cotton, have issued an urgent call to the U.S. Treasury Department to investigate what they described as “financial links” between the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and the Hamas movement.
This call comes amidst a wave of sharp criticism against the Islamic organization, which is considered one of the largest Islamic lobbying groups in Washington. This call has received clear support from prominent Republican Congressman Chip Roy, reflecting a growing trend within the Republican Party to hold organizations accountable, according to their perspective.
In a related context, political analyses accuse CAIR of being among the largest lobbies that recently supported jihadist militia attacks in the Coast region and Al-Suwayda, placing it under security scrutiny. It is worth noting that the organization is already listed on the terrorism watchlist in the United Arab Emirates.
In response, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) launched a fierce attack on Cotton and Stefanik. It, in turn, called on the Treasury Department and federal agencies to investigate whether the two members need to register as foreign agents on behalf of Israel—a move described by political circles as “bold,” reflecting the escalating intensity of the conflict.
Gulf Warnings Regarding Qatar’s Role:
On a related front, a high-level Saudi official, in private remarks to the newspaper Israel Hayom, warned that “excessive reliance on Qatar in the next stages of the plan and the reconstruction of Gaza will cause Trump’s plan to collapse.” The official confirmed that “Qatar’s interests are different, and it will undermine counter-extremism efforts and try to ensure that Hamas remains in the picture and returns to power in the not-so-distant future.”