James Durso
After Israel’s attack on a Hamas meeting in Doha, Qatar, U.S. President Donald Trump expressed regret over the incident and directed Secretary of State Marco Rubio to finalize a defense cooperation agreement with Qatar.
When Qatari officials heard that news, they probably wondered, Why bother?
Qatar is a Major Non-NATO Ally of the U.S. and a major customer for American defense equipment. In recent years Doha provided financial support to Hamas (with U.S. and Israeli connivance), mediated U.S.-Taliban peace talks, hosted America’s Afghan refugee resettlement facility; mediated ceasefire talks between Israel and the militant group Hamas; hosts the largest U.S. military base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base (upgraded at Qatar’s expense); gifted the U.S. a Boeing 747-8 aircraft as an interim Air Force One, agreed to purchase 210 Boeing aircraft and over 400 GE Aerospace engines, and entered an agreement that will “generate an economic exchange worth at least $1.2 trillion,” according to the White House.
What did Qatar get for all it did? It got the distinction of being attacked by both Iran and Israel in one year, though Trump helpfully 'assured' Qatar that Israel won't attack again, though he was immediately repudiated by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The Qataris reportedly received Israeli and American assurances in August that Hamas officials would not be targeted on Qatari soil, but that promise was broken.
Why did the attack happen now?
James M. Dorsey of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore noted, “In the last six weeks, Hamas has largely agreed to proposals put forward by the mediators, Qatar, Egypt, and the United States.” This may have motivated Israel to strike - before it was presented with a deal that would be hard to refuse.
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