QATAR BANKROLLING HAMAS

Qatar Seen Bankrolling Hamas- Nicholas Kralev (Washington Times)
"Qatar gives Hamas millions of dollars a month [on average]," a senior Abbas aide said Tuesday on the sidelines of the Rice-Abbas meetings in the West Bank city of Ramallah.   "They say the money is for the people of Gaza, but Hamas steals it, and some of it may be used to buy weapons."   Qatar is a major U.S. ally in the Gulf and hosts a large number of American troops.

ISRAELI TENNIS PLAYER MAKES HISTORY IN QATAR

Israel's Tennis Player Peer Makes History in Gulf - Richard Eaton (AFP/Yahoo)
Israeli tennis player Shahar Peer, 20, made diplomatic history when she stepped on court at the Qatar Open on Monday.  Peer has suddenly acquired a global focus, received round-the-clock security, and apparently been given a promise that she would be treated "like the Emir's wife."

"I'm here to play tennis," she said. "But if this opens up a window for the younger generation, with Arabs and Israelis working together for peace, I'd be happy." The emirate is bidding for the 2016 Olympics, about which a decision will be made next year, so this is a way to suggest that politics won't tarnish any games there.

See also Peer Wins History-Making Match at Qatar Tourney - Douglas Robson (USA Today)

OXFORD STUDENTS "CONFIRM" JEWISH CONSPIRACY

A Debate Too Stupid to Stifle (BackSpin)
Oxford students hosting the latest Doha Debates overcame mythical pro-Israel lobby suppression and agreed, by an impressive two-thirds vote, on the following motion:

"This House believes the pro-Israeli lobby has successfully stifled Western debate about Israel's actions."

The sheer stupidity of the topic wasn't worth the effort of suppressing -- had the motion failed, it would've been better "proof" that the issue was true.

SEE ALSO: OXFORD UNION TO DEBATE JEWISH LOBBY'S "UNDUE INFLUENCE"

OXFORD UNION TO DEBATE JEWISH LOBBY'S "UNDUE INFLUENCE"

The Doha Debates at the Oxford Union (DOHA)
The Doha Debates have been invited to hold an event at the Oxford Union - the world famous debating society of Oxford University - on the 1st of May.

The motion to be debated will be: This House believes the pro-Israeli lobby has successfully stifled Western debate about Israel's actions.

A group of students from Qatar will travel with the Doha Debates team to Oxford University to participate as audience members. This will be the first Doha Debate to be held outside Qatar.

3 GULF STATES WOULD ALLOW IAF OVERFLIGHTS TO BOMB IRAN

Report: 3 Gulf states agree to IAF overflights en route to Iran. (Haaretz)
Three Arab states in the Persian Gulf would be willing to allow the Israel Air force to enter their airspace in order to reach Iran in case of an attack on its nuclear facilities, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa reported on Sunday.

According to the report, a diplomat from one of the gulf states visiting Washington on Saturday said the three states, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have told the United States that they would not object to Israel using their airspace, despite their fear of an Iranian response.

Al-Siyasa further reported that NATO leaders are urging Turkey to open its airspace for an Attack on Iran as well and to also open its airports and borders in case of a ground attack.

According to a British diplomat who spoke to an Al-Siyasa correspondent, Turkey will not repeat the mistake it made in 2003, when it refused to open its airspace to U.S. Air Force overflights en route to attacking Iraq.