New Qatari manipulation.. Doha plays a controversial role in Arab-Israeli relations

In a remarkable new twist, Qatar has begun playing a controversial role by claiming stability in the West Bank and Gaza Strip in recent weeks, as it moves closer to Egypt and the United States.

In a report by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, a group of recent Qatari moves in the country were monitored, among them the measures of calm and the efforts of the Qatari envoy to ensure that the clashes on Land Day in March do not spread to the Gaza Strip, two weeks ago, after the Emir of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, made two phone calls, one with the President of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and the other with the head of the Political Bureau of Hamas, Ismail Haniyeh asked the parties to prevent escalation.

According to Qatari sources, the latest steps for the small emirate come after the provision of numerous financial assistance to Hamas, amounting to $3 billion over the past decade, according to figures obtained by Haaretz, among the $1.5 billion Qatar invested in the Gaza Strip, almost half of which went to projects for the so-called welfare areas, estimated at about $500 billion. Then about $9 million was transferred through the United Nations to support orphans from Operation Protective Edge, to build fuel tanks for the power plant in Gaza, to expand the Yarmouk Football Stadium and build two veterinary centers in Beit Lahia, in addition to open the Sheik Hamad Al-Thani Hospital in Gaza, named after the former Emir of Qatar, through which it aims to penetrate the country and play a role in it.

An Israeli official said: “Israel understands that Qatar can help resolve the Gaza issue and lead to a calming of the situation”, the official said regarding Qatar’s growing rapprochement with Iran: “The black-and-white era is over. Today, anyone can help your opponent, but also help you promote your interests”.

For years, Israel has had a complex and invisible relationship with Qatar, with officials from the Foreign Ministry, Mossad, and Defense Ministry interviewing their counterparts, various economic ties established, and senior Israeli officials visiting Qatar more than once, mostly secretly, and leaders of the two countries exchanging direct messages. Although the two countries do not have formal relations, in recent years Qatar has allowed Israeli athletes to participate in competitions held there, and in November many Israelis are expected to visit Qatar for the first time to attend World Cup soccer matches.

Many Israelis may be surprised to learn that most of Qatar’s $1.65 billion in financial aid to the Palestinians went to the West Bank, not the Gaza Strip, to address the PA’s severe economic crisis, along with a sharp drop in donations from Western countries.

The newspaper went on to say that the Israeli public knows about the bags full of cash that Qatar used to transfer tens of millions of dollars of aid to the Gaza Strip after the Palestinian Authority announced that it would not pay the salaries of Hamas officials in the Gaza Strip, which provoked severe criticism in Israel. The government then banned this practice, but Qatar still pays these salaries by alternative means, such as buying and transferring fuel that Hamas can sell afterwards, on the assumption that transferring the money to the Gaza Strip will help prevent clashes.

As reported in Haaretz in recent weeks, Israeli officials have asked Qatar to tone down reports on the clashes at Temple Mount, which Israeli politicians consider incitement.

Israel sees Qatar’s increased involvement in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank as part of a larger shift, as the country that supported the Muslim Brotherhood – and that hosted its spiritual leader Yusuf al-Qaradawi for years and was accused of helping to strengthen Hamas – has recently been working to improve its relations with Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States.

An Israeli official said: “The Qataris now want to be in a better relationship with everyone”, he said. “Investing in the Muslim Brotherhood helped Qatar establish its position in the region, which is what it aims to do, and in Qatar’s view, they did not invest money in various extremist groups to support terrorism, but rather to maintain dialog with it and moderation in it”.

In January 2012, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Qataris have come to their senses. They cut off the aid to the Muslim Brotherhood and became closer to Egypt.