Thomas Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria under the Trump administration, made headlines at the 2025 Doha Forum in Qatar with remarks that have been widely criticized as misguided, hypocritical, and antithetical to core American principles.
The "nonsense" here isn't just in the factual inaccuracies, it's in the profound irony, cultural tone-deafness, and political self-sabotage of delivering such a message from a platform in one of the world's most repressive regimes. Let's break it down point by point.
WATCH:
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) December 7, 2025
Speaking in Qatar at the Doha Forum today, US Ambassador to Turkey @USAMBTurkiye Tom Barrack suggested that Israel isn’t a Democracy, and should instead aspire to have a monarchy like Islamic countries because monarchy is the best form of government.
“Israel can claim… https://t.co/D4kRxump9F pic.twitter.com/FYp92vY1Po
1. Dismissing Israel as a Democracy Is Factually Baseless
- Israel is a parliamentary democracy with universal suffrage, competitive multi-party elections held every four years (or sooner if needed), an independent judiciary, and a free press that routinely criticizes the government. It's ranked as a "free" nation by organizations like Freedom House, scoring higher on democratic metrics than many European countries. Yes, it faces valid critiques, such as inequalities for Arab Israelis or the challenges of governing occupied territories, but these don't negate its democratic foundations, any more than U.S. issues with gerrymandering or racial disparities strip America of its democratic status.
- Barrack's casual "Israel can claim that it’s a democracy" implies it's some kind of sham, which echoes anti-Israel propaganda often amplified in authoritarian states like Qatar (home to Al Jazeera, a state-funded network accused of bias against Israel). This isn't neutral analysis; it's a rhetorical sleight-of-hand that undermines a key U.S. ally while pandering to the audience.
- Qatar isn't a "benevolent" monarchy, it's an absolute one ruled by Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, with no elections for its citizens, severe restrictions on free speech, assembly, and the press, and a legal system rooted in Sharia law that discriminates against women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and migrant workers (who make up 88% of the population and endure kafala sponsorship abuses akin to modern slavery).
- By lauding monarchies as the "best" model for the Middle East, Barrack is essentially endorsing the very system hosting him: a gas-rich autocracy that funds Hamas, hosts Taliban leaders, and meddles in regional conflicts while projecting a veneer of moderation. Doing this at the Doha Forum, Qatar's annual PR extravaganza for soft power, makes it feel like paid flattery, especially given Barrack's history as a billionaire investor with ties to Gulf money.
- If "what has worked best" is the metric, Qatar's stability comes at the cost of human dignity, not some enlightened benevolence. True progress in the region (e.g., UAE's economic diversification or Jordan's relative openness) often stems from pragmatic reforms, not divine-right rule.
- The U.S. has long championed democracy as a bulwark against tyranny, from the Marshall Plan to the Arab Spring (flawed as interventions were). Barrack's comments flip that script, suggesting autocracy is preferable for "this region" implying cultural inferiority that reeks of orientalism. It's as if he's saying, "Democracy works for us, but not for them," which erodes America's moral authority.
- As a Trump appointee (Barrack chaired Trump's 2017 inaugural committee and is a longtime confidant), this stings extra hard. Trump's "America First" rhetoric emphasized strength through freedom, alliances with democracies like Israel, and skepticism of foreign entanglements, not cozying up to emirs while trashing democratic partners. Surrounding himself with figures like Barrack, who prioritize deal-making over principles, risks alienating pro-Israel conservatives and signaling weakness to adversaries.
- Critics, including Trump allies like Laura Loomer, have called it out as "inappropriate" and influenced by "Arab money," highlighting how Gulf petrodollars can corrupt foreign policy. It's not "America First" it's "Emir's Purse First."
In short, Barrack's remarks aren't just wrong; they're a self-own that emboldens autocrats, insults allies, and confuses U.S. messaging at a pivotal moment for Syria and the Middle East. If the goal was to discuss Syria pragmatically, why not advocate for inclusive governance with checks on power, rather than romanticizing crowns? This kind of nonsense erodes trust faster than it builds deals.
All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them.-Galileo
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