Doha Meeting and Resistance’s Superior Position
The meeting in Qatar can be a signal of new political configuration in the region.
The one-day meeting held last Friday in Doha signals messages of a new age of regional interactions; ones which shape the future of this region and lead towards new frameworks. Prior to this meeting, some major Arab countries had remained silent against Israel’s assault, implicitly standing besides this country. Others had denounced the attack, awaiting future developments.
On the first days of Israel’s assault, the invitation made by Emir of Qatar for an emergency meeting was given a cold shoulder by powerful Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Ultimately the invitation resulted in the Cairo meeting of Arab League foreign ministers, where they asked for putting an end to the conflict.
The outcome of this meeting was predictable. Egypt –as the third country engaged most with the problem- was not ready to pressure Israel for ending the massacre and Bush administration –in its last days- stood by Israel and demanded Arab countries not to take any tough decisions. During the third week of war on behalf of some Muslim and Middle East countries the Qatari Prime Minster asked for an Arab League summit in Doha. Egypt and Saudi Arabia were hastily opposed the plan and the Egyptian president met the Saudi king in Riyadh to come up with a joint stance on the issue.
Believing that Resistance will be sooner or later drubbed and Israel will impose its terms on Middle East countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were convinced not to attend the Doha meeting. They paved the way for the final blow on Resistance on the pretext of Arab League meeting in Kuwait on Monday, when even the most short-sighted analysts in Middle East knew that Israel must end the war before Obama enters White House, which meant that the meeting in Kuwait would take place after Israel’s announcement of unilateral ceasefire and would be of no use.
The meeting in Doha turned from an Arab meeting into a Muslim meeting. Iran, Senegal, Turkey, Indonesia and some other Muslim countries sent their representatives to Doha. This was the worst Egypt and Saudi Arabia expected, since they regard the Palestinian issue a problem related to Arabs, not Muslims. That’s why they have never approved Iran’s role in the conflict.
With all the talks around it, the Doha meeting was highly fruitful for Islamic Resistance, since this time, instead of Palestinian Authority, it were the leaders of Resistance who traveled to Doha from Syria, voicing the Palestinian nation. This questioned Mahmoud Abbas’ credibility. Abbas, whose presidential term ended one week ago, didn’t attend the meeting in fear of a political death.
The Qatari PM remarks after the meeting reveal the latent gap between Arab countries: UAE didn’t attend the meeting using Iran’s presence as an excuse, Emir of Kuwait did the same under the pretext of Arab League FM meeting in his country, Amr Musa criticized Qatar’s policy, and heads of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Jordan and Bahrain did not attend the meeting while 12 other Arab countries were present.
This indicates two different lines among Arab countries. The first line demands a compromise with Israel and obliteration of resistance, while the other line, formed after 33-day war of Hezbollah and Israel, has come to believe that resistance is the only way to confront Israel.
There are some other significant points about the Doha meeting. While Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and for a while Syria, were pondering an Arab compromise with Israel, and United States was hoping to unite Arabs and Israel against Iran, this meeting differed the idea of compromise for some years and that is the most remarkable success for resistance.
Qatar, which hosts Israel’s trade office in Doha, is about to shut the office. Mauritania is also going to halt ties with this regime. Syria, who had started negotiations with Israel through Turkey’s mediation, said that it would quit talks. In fact, all that Israel had gained since the Annapolis conference have vanished and the country has to start all over, but with one difference: it can’t gather all the leaders, ministers or representatives at one place anymore.
Iran’s attendance in Doha meeting has also its own story. No doubt holding the meeting and presence of some Arab leaders wouldn’t have been possible without Iran’s green light. This showed that all attempts by United States and Israel to unite with Arabs against Iran were trifling and Tehran is in a political situation to counter attempts for marginalization easily. The Doha meeting in fact approved resistance and gave it the upper hand. Iran’s participation in the talks could also render vain all American-Israeli attempts to demonize it and open up for further interaction between Iran and Arab/Muslim countries.
The effects of Doha meeting will gradually emerge and some Arab leaders who supposed the meeting would be ineffective will have to pay for it. Saturday remarks of Husni Mubarak, life-long president of Egypt- about the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza can be considered as the first repercussion of Doha meeting. But we have to wait for more.
On the first days of Israel’s assault, the invitation made by Emir of Qatar for an emergency meeting was given a cold shoulder by powerful Arab countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Ultimately the invitation resulted in the Cairo meeting of Arab League foreign ministers, where they asked for putting an end to the conflict.
The outcome of this meeting was predictable. Egypt –as the third country engaged most with the problem- was not ready to pressure Israel for ending the massacre and Bush administration –in its last days- stood by Israel and demanded Arab countries not to take any tough decisions. During the third week of war on behalf of some Muslim and Middle East countries the Qatari Prime Minster asked for an Arab League summit in Doha. Egypt and Saudi Arabia were hastily opposed the plan and the Egyptian president met the Saudi king in Riyadh to come up with a joint stance on the issue.
Believing that Resistance will be sooner or later drubbed and Israel will impose its terms on Middle East countries, Egypt and Saudi Arabia were convinced not to attend the Doha meeting. They paved the way for the final blow on Resistance on the pretext of Arab League meeting in Kuwait on Monday, when even the most short-sighted analysts in Middle East knew that Israel must end the war before Obama enters White House, which meant that the meeting in Kuwait would take place after Israel’s announcement of unilateral ceasefire and would be of no use.
The meeting in Doha turned from an Arab meeting into a Muslim meeting. Iran, Senegal, Turkey, Indonesia and some other Muslim countries sent their representatives to Doha. This was the worst Egypt and Saudi Arabia expected, since they regard the Palestinian issue a problem related to Arabs, not Muslims. That’s why they have never approved Iran’s role in the conflict.
With all the talks around it, the Doha meeting was highly fruitful for Islamic Resistance, since this time, instead of Palestinian Authority, it were the leaders of Resistance who traveled to Doha from Syria, voicing the Palestinian nation. This questioned Mahmoud Abbas’ credibility. Abbas, whose presidential term ended one week ago, didn’t attend the meeting in fear of a political death.
The Qatari PM remarks after the meeting reveal the latent gap between Arab countries: UAE didn’t attend the meeting using Iran’s presence as an excuse, Emir of Kuwait did the same under the pretext of Arab League FM meeting in his country, Amr Musa criticized Qatar’s policy, and heads of Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia, Jordan and Bahrain did not attend the meeting while 12 other Arab countries were present.
This indicates two different lines among Arab countries. The first line demands a compromise with Israel and obliteration of resistance, while the other line, formed after 33-day war of Hezbollah and Israel, has come to believe that resistance is the only way to confront Israel.
There are some other significant points about the Doha meeting. While Egypt and Saudi Arabia, and for a while Syria, were pondering an Arab compromise with Israel, and United States was hoping to unite Arabs and Israel against Iran, this meeting differed the idea of compromise for some years and that is the most remarkable success for resistance.
Qatar, which hosts Israel’s trade office in Doha, is about to shut the office. Mauritania is also going to halt ties with this regime. Syria, who had started negotiations with Israel through Turkey’s mediation, said that it would quit talks. In fact, all that Israel had gained since the Annapolis conference have vanished and the country has to start all over, but with one difference: it can’t gather all the leaders, ministers or representatives at one place anymore.
Iran’s attendance in Doha meeting has also its own story. No doubt holding the meeting and presence of some Arab leaders wouldn’t have been possible without Iran’s green light. This showed that all attempts by United States and Israel to unite with Arabs against Iran were trifling and Tehran is in a political situation to counter attempts for marginalization easily. The Doha meeting in fact approved resistance and gave it the upper hand. Iran’s participation in the talks could also render vain all American-Israeli attempts to demonize it and open up for further interaction between Iran and Arab/Muslim countries.
The effects of Doha meeting will gradually emerge and some Arab leaders who supposed the meeting would be ineffective will have to pay for it. Saturday remarks of Husni Mubarak, life-long president of Egypt- about the Israeli army’s withdrawal from Gaza can be considered as the first repercussion of Doha meeting. But we have to wait for more.