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Five Reasons Why Israel Should Care about the Qatar Crisis

(Jerusalem Post) Seth J. Frantzman - 1. It hurts Hamas. Qatar has supported Hamas over the last decade and hosted former Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal for the last five years in Doha. The new pressure on Qatar has encouraged it to expel Hamas members and will reduce its support for the group. 2. It brings Israel closer to Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the Gulf. Israel has shared interests with Saudi Arabia and the Gulf states in opposing Iran. The crises with Qatar allows writers in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf to speak out more firmly against Hamas. Saudi's Al Arabiya has showcased interviews with Wonder Woman's Gal Gadot. 3. It shows U.S. influence is back in the region. The background of the current crises was a feeling that U.S. President Donald Trump's speech to "drive out" terror gave a blank check to local states to act. 4. It delegitimizes terror. The regimes that have broken relations with Qatar pay lip-service to fighting terror and instability. Israel prefers a stable region without terror groups undermining neighboring states. So long as Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and other states work in concert, the winds of stability will blow in Israel's direction as well. 5. It bolsters Israel's hand in general and Israel's current government in particular. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has spoken about the Iranian threat for two decades. If the Arab states are more concerned with Iran and Qatar, than with the Palestinians, that takes pressure off of Israel.
2017-06-06 00:00:00
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