Family Of American Hostage In Gaza Urges NHL To Put Pressure On Qatar Over Washington Sports Investment, Hamas Residency
The ownership company of the Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards recently announced they'd sell 5% of the teams to Qatar. The same Qatar which allows or even supports the leadership of Hamas living in its country.
And an American family wants the NHL to put some pressure on Qatar to try and get their son, currently held hostage by Hamas, back home.
The Daily Wire reported on the attempt by Jonathan Polin and Rachel Goldberg to get the NHL to use leverage to help return their son. An attempt that so far has been entirely unsuccessful.
“The NHL has a unique and powerful opportunity to help our son, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, who is being held hostage in Gaza,” they wrote in a letter to NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “He was abducted from a music festival on Saturday October 7th after having his left arm blown off under heavy grenade and gunfire… Medical experts have told us that without immediate medical care, our son might not be able to last much longer.”
“As we understand it, the NHL is currently doing due diligence on the proposed purchase of 5% of the Washington Capitals by the Qatar Investment Authority, the sovereign wealth fund of the country that harbors and sponsors Hamas’ top leadership,” they say in their email, which was acquired by The Daily Wire.
WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 12: A general view of the exterior of Capital One Arena after the Detroit Red Wings against the Washington Capitals NHL game was postponed on March 12, 2020. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Should Qatar's Investment Be Reconsidered In Light Of Hamas Attacks?
“It is unconscionable that Qatar can refuse to arrest Hamas leaders and yet be welcomed into the ownership not just of a pillar of American society like the NHL, but specifically as part owners of the only NHL franchise based in our nation’s capital,” they argue. “Extensive reporting in recent years has detailed how Qatar has spent untold millions on lobbyists and PR flaks; the NHL may be enabling sponsors of Hamas to increase their already remarkable political influence in the U.S.”
Polin and Goldberg believe that the Middle East state is using the NHL, and in particular the Washington Capitals, to increase its already considerable influence in Washington, DC.
“We believe that buying into the NHL, and into Washington, DC in particular, is a top priority for the State of Qatar. Thus, pressure from the NHL on Qatar might be uniquely impactful. While an estimated 150-200 innocent civilians, including 20 Americans besides our son, are being held hostage, the leaders of Hamas ultimately responsible for the kidnappings and the murders of 1,400 innocent souls are living openly in Doha.”
The NHL has condemned the terrorist attack by Hamas on October 7th, but so far haven't responded to the couple's request. The Daily Wire contacted a spokeswoman for Monumental Sports, the ownership group of the Capitals, who said that the deal is closed and can't be changed.
"This is also about the fan experience," Anu Rangappa said in response to questions about Qatar's investment. "Have you ever been to Capital One Arena? Have you ever thought, why isn’t the food better here, or why is there shitty lighting here? In order to do that, we need to find new partners.”
Money Always Talks
At the end of the day, money always talks. Qatar's investment, while a relatively small percentage of the team's entire valuation, is still a significant dollar figure.
And significant dollar figures can paper over a lot of problems.
The NHL is in a unique position to be able to potentially influence Qatar's decision making, but it's also unlikely that a sports league is going to take a hardline position that will influence Qatari leadership to change course on Hamas.
That said, if there is more willingness to tell Qatar that support for Hamas is unacceptable from outside organizations, it could be part of a snowball effect that eventually leads to change down the road. Perhaps the only thing that will matter is if their money stops talking.
Hopefully Hersh Goldberg-Polin is returned home safely soon.