’Haaretz’ Reports Secret “Israeli” Defense Exports to Qatar and Saudi Arabia

By Staff, Agencies

A report published by "Haaretz" has revealed details of advanced defense transactions involving the export of “Israeli” military systems and equipment to Qatar and Saudi Arabia, despite the absence of formal diplomatic relations between the two Gulf states and “Israel”.

According to the report, the disclosures emerge as “Israeli” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attempts to contain political fallout from the Qatar Gate scandal, which centers on alleged business ties between individuals close to him and Qatar.

Netanyahu has described Doha as a “complex state,” while the report points to previously undisclosed channels of security cooperation and defense transfers.

The report states that aircraft belonging to the Qatari royal family were equipped with the “C-MUSIC” airborne protection system developed by “Israeli” defense company Elbit Systems.

The system is designed to detect incoming heat-seeking missiles and use an infrared laser to disrupt their guidance systems.

According to publicly available images cited by Haaretz, three aircraft in Qatar’s royal fleet, including two Boeing 747s and one Airbus A340-500, were fitted with the system between 2020 and 2022 during maintenance work in Basel, Switzerland.

The report also notes that an aircraft used by Qatar’s Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, carried the system during a visit to Tehran last year.

The newspaper further reported that “Israeli” companies participated in the Qatar F-15QA fighter aircraft program led by Boeing.

US Department of Defense contracting data reportedly indicates that “Israeli” firms received subcontracting agreements valued between $150 million and $250 million to supply advanced systems and components for the aircraft.

Among the equipment referenced in the report are the Joint Helmet Mounted Cueing System (JHMCS), produced by Collins Elbit Vision Systems, a joint venture involving Elbit Systems and RTX, as well as AN/AVS-9 night-vision goggles, structural aircraft components, and additional electronic warfare systems.