U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack has sparked widespread controversy following an appearance at the Global Security Forum in Doha, where he defended the government in Tehran and made assertions regarding the history of antisemitism in the Middle East prior to the founding of Israel in 1948.
During the forum, Barrack asserted that antisemitism was not a major issue in the region before 1948, telling attendees that Jews and other populations existed side by side. Historians and critics have disputed this characterization, pointing to centuries of documented violence, forced expulsions, and restrictive measures against Jewish communities across the Middle East and North Africa long before the establishment of the modern state of Israel.
Historical records from the region include the expulsion of Jewish tribes from Medina in the seventh century under early Caliphates, the 1033 sacking of Fez resulting in thousands of deaths, and the 1066 Granada Massacre. Later centuries saw the 1267 Mamluk ban barring Jews from the Cave of the Patriarchs in Hebron—a restriction that remained in place until 1967—and the 1679 Mawza Exile in Yemen, which resulted in significant loss of life.
Additional historical violence cited by researchers includes the 1834 Safed and Hebron pogroms, the 1840 Damascus blood libel, the 1912 unrest in Fez, and the 1941 Farhud pogrom in Baghdad, which claimed the lives of at least 180 people, with some estimates placing the death toll significantly higher.
In addition to his historical remarks, Barrack defended the Iranian government, stating it was not an evil regime and describing its policies in terms of religious content and practice. Critics immediately noted the clerical government’s extensive record of suppressing political opposition, including the mass execution of political prisoners in 1988, the targeted killings known as the Chain Murders, and the violent suppression of civil unrest, including crackdowns in January 2026.
During his appearance in Doha, Barrack also praised Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut and commended Qatar for its patience in diplomatic engagements.
Barrack’s recent comments follow a series of contentious statements and diplomatic positions over the past year. In December 2025, speaking at the Doha Forum, he questioned whether Israel functions as a democracy while discussing regional governance models and proposing the inclusion of Turkey in a stabilization force for Gaza. In April 2026, remarks delivered in Turkey equating Israel and Hezbollah drew public criticism from U.S. lawmakers, including Senators Rick Scott and the late Senator Lindsey Graham, as well as media figures who objected to his characterization of Ankara’s stance on Hamas.
Further friction arose in August, when Barrack publicly criticized Israeli military actions targeting a Turkish-linked airbase in Syria and subsequently referred to the Golan Heights as occupied territory during a podcast appearance—a statement that ran counter to established U.S. policy and prompted a diplomatic retraction days later.
