Former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, the Republican candidate running against Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL) in South Florida, traveled to Qatar in 2024.

Singer and Moskowitz have been battling over which one of them is the stronger and more reliable supporter of Israel, in a district with a substantial Jewish population that could be up for grabs in the midterm election.

Singer argues that Moskowitz is overpowered by the anti-Israel wing of the Democratic Party, while Moskowitz argues that he’ll be a more important voice as a prominent pro-Israel Democrat than Singer would be in the GOP.

According to the Gulf Times, Singer met and was photographed with Qatari’s minister of municipality, Abdullah bin Hamad bin Abdullah Al Attiyah, during a visit to the World Economic Forum with other mayors from around the U.S. The trip was first resurfaced by The Floridian.

“Scott Singer joined other mayors in a delegation for the World Economic Forum, at the same time a congressional delegation was there, meeting with our military at Al Udeid Air Base, the then-US ambassador, and other representatives from government and business,” Singer campaign spokesperson Michael Stwarka said in a statement to Jewish Insider. “He gained a better understanding of the complex relationship between our nation and Qatar, and their potential for influence in our educational system.

According to the the Gulf Times, the group “discussed avenues of cooperation between the Ministry of Municipality and the US cities in areas of shared interest, in addition to means of promoting them between the two sides, particularly smart cities and upgrading infrastructure, municipal services, agriculture, food security and waste management.”

Qatar has come under significant scrutiny in the Jewish and pro-Israel community since Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, given its support for and hosting of Hamas leadership. The kingdom has also been accused of stoking antisemitism on college campuses through its substantial financial support for U.S. colleges and universities.

Stwarka — the Singer spokesperson — said that, when elected, Singer “will introduce legislation that bans federal funding going to any educational institution that receives foreign funds from any foreign nation. … Scott will always be a steadfast supporter of our closest ally Israel and continues to be a strong voice against antisemitism.”

Moskowitz has been a vocal critic of Qatar, calling for accountability for the country’s support for Hamas.

It was not immediately clear who paid for the trip.

Another member of the mayors group photographed alongside Singer is Dearborn, Mich., Mayor Abdullah Hammoud, who has been accused of cultivating a hostile environment for Christian and Jewish residents of the city.

In one notable incident, Hammoud harangued a Christian pastor who spoke at a city council meeting against naming a street in honor of a local publisher who had expressed support for terrorist groups, with Hammoud telling the pastor he was Islamophobic and “not welcome” in the city, adding, “The day you move out of the city will be the day I launch a parade celebrating the fact that you moved out of the city.”

“Scott Singer does not share all the views of all who attended,” Stwarka said in the statement to JI.