Qatar can no longer play both ends—Israel and the Arabs—against the middle after the Israeli assassination strike in Doha. From Alastair Crooke at strategic-culture.org:
The strike on the Hamas negotiating team assembled in Doha marks the end to an entire era – and “a new reality” for Qatar.
The strike on the Hamas negotiating team assembled in Doha to discuss the ‘Witkoff Gaza proposal’ is not just another ‘IDF operation’ to be passed over silently (as with the de-capitation of almost the entire civilian cabinet in Yemen).
It marks rather, the end to an entire era – and “a new reality” for Qatar.
It’s a landmark event. For decades, Qatar has played a very profitable game – supporting the radical An-Nusra jihadists in Syria as a lever against Iran, while maintaining American military bases and a strategic partnership with Washington. Doha presented itself as a mediator – dining with the jihadists whilst acting as a Mossad facilitator.
It was this multi-directional approach that gave Qatar the reputation of being the ‘eternal beneficiary’ in Middle Eastern crises and in Afghanistan. Even when Israel, Iran, or Saudi Arabia were under attack, Doha came out ahead. The Qataris calmly counted the profits from their gas and enjoyed the role of indispensable intermediaries.
Now this fairy tale is over: There will be no more ‘safe zones’. Most tellingly, the U.S. (reported Israeli Channel 11) had approved the action about which Trump was then informed. Despite questioning the attack, Trump said he applauded any killing of Hamas members.
We should have seen this coming. The Doha attack was yet another Trump-Israel sneak attack – a pattern that began with the sneak strike on the Hizbullah leadership assembling to discuss a U.S. peace initiative – a methodology then was copied for the Iranian de-capitation operation of 13 June, just as Trump touted JCPOA talks with the Witkoff team commencing in the days ahead.
And now, with Trump’s Gaza ‘peace proposal’ handed as bait to gather the Hamas leaders together in one place in Doha, Israel struck. Witkoff’s Gaza plan looks a mockery; or else a deliberate feint. For Israel had already decided to end the Qatari role.
Israeli logic is fundamentally simple and cynical – regardless of how many American bases you have or how important your gas is to the global economy. The killing of Ismail Haniya in Tehran, the strikes on Syria and Lebanon, the operation in Qatar – all are links to one chain: Netanyahu (and a majority in Israel is behind him in this) methodically demonstrates that there are no forbidden territories; no rules of law; no Vienna Convention for him in the Middle East.
Don’t the Arabs have more land and oil?
Iran is not really Arab?
Esteemed CPUSA (D) party member comrade kommissar Jimmeh Carta said the whole area (gulf) is our lake.