The security calculus of the Arabian Peninsula underwent a paradigm shift with the unprecedented airstrikes by Israel on the Hamas negotiation team in Doha on September 9, leaving the fate of ceasefire in Israel’s two-year genocidal war against Gaza on uncertain grounds. The officials from Hamas were in Doha for negotiations on a proposed truce backed by the US President. As per the reports, five members were killed in a targeted attack on residential buildings housing several members of Hamas political bureau. However, the negotiating team survived the assassination attempt. The attack against Hamas leadership, which has been a key mediator in Gaza ceasefire talks, on Qatar’s soil, depicts the uneasiness of the Jewish State with the rising influence of Doha in geopolitics of the world. With these airstrikes, the security architecture of Gulf becomes vulnerable, rendering the Gulf States insecure under the American shield.
Beijing mediated understanding between the Persian-Arab duos has been one of the reasons that created uneasiness in the Jewish State. Besides the recent homogeneity between the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and Iran, Qatar’s reputation as a peacemaker and neutral broker in resolving critical issues further makes Israel insecure in the region. Doha has also been taking key strides for achieving ceasefire in Gaza. Hence, these airstrikes reinforce the security perspective that Qatar, Northeastern coastal emirate, has become a thorn in the eye of Israel. With the threat of further airstrikes, the security architecture of Gulf becomes more fragile.
In blatant violation of international law and norms, Israel attacked six Muslim countries including Palestine, Lebanon, Tunisia, Syria, Qatar and Yemen. In this act of external aggression, Qatar sought American response on the violation of sovereignty of Qatar and other Gulf nations. For decades, Arabs have been guaranting uninterrupted oil and gas supplies to the West and in response the US had pledged security for Gulf States from any external aggression. Both the Washington and Doha enjoyed robust economic ties with over 120 US companies operating in Arabian Peninsula. Doha stands as the second-largest buyer of American weapons globally and it also hosts largest US military base in the region and played an effective role in the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
The peninsular state has emerged as the biggest soft power in the Middle East, with its media house, Al-Jazeera, having unmatched influence in the world. With its exceptional media outreach and diplomatic mediation, Doha has become indispensable on the world stage. Country has made big-ticket investments in Europe and the United States. Spanning from Hamas to Houthis, Qatar enjoys remarkable influence in the politics of the Middle East. It controls the geo-economics of the region with its undeniable asset of world’s third largest natural gas reserves. It exports 77 million tons of LNG per year and further plans to expand its production to over 126 million tons per year. In the comity of nations, Qatar has a sophisticated image with a vision for mega-investments. However, many nations have condemned Israel for committing genocide in Gaza. Israel considers its soft power declining than Doha’s, making the country thorn in eye of Israel.
Though Prime Minister Netanyahu denied US involvement in airstrikes in Doha, it still showed the world that the American allies are not immune to Israeli attacks. Vice President JD Vance expressed frustration on targeting of Hamas leadership in Doha, declaring airstrikes against US and Israeli national interests. The White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, expressed solidarity with Qatar leadership but remained short of condemning the actions. The White House declared Israel’s airstrikes as “unfortunate,†terming Qatar as strong ally and friend of the United States. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, poured water on the US claims regarding the timely warning of the possible Israel attack on Doha, declaring Israeli strikes as “100% treacherous. †Mediator state, Qatar, was hosting official mediations with delegates from the same country that attacked it with more than ten fighter jets. Israeli officials have acknowledged the use of stealth US-made F-35I fighter jets that are capable of avoiding radar detection and that these were used to penetrate Tehran’s air defenses during Israel’s strikes on Iran in June.Qatar considered attack on Doha an act of terrorism, declaring Israel as a rogue player that is involved in bullying its neighboring Gulf States with impunity. Therefore, in order to materialize its proposed ceasefire on Gaza, the United States must take into account the Israel’s reckless behavior in the Middle East. Qatar has successfully positioned itself as a mediator and seeks to uphold its tradition of diplomacy by pushing for an end to the war in the Gaza Strip. However, the responsibility now lies with the United States and other international powers to rein in Israel’s aggression and prevent further escalation in the region.
This article was published in another form at https://cscr.pk/explore/themes/defense-security/illusions-of-safety-gulf-states-exposed-under-american-protection/
Ms Nawal Nawaz is Research Assistant at the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.
