Qatar has confirmed that it couldn't care less for its Arab affiliation or for its Arab and Gulf interests, with Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad doing little to heal the regional rifts caused by his controversial statement a week ago. This lack of interest in taking any decisive action to control the damage could either be attributed to a confused state of affairs within Qatar or to its political inclination towards Tel Aviv and Tehran at the expense of its relations with Arab states, particularly the Gulf countries. Sheikh Tamim has been quoted by the Qatar News Agency as saying on Tuesday that it was not wise to be hostile towards Iran. He described Iran as a "major force," with whom it has built strong ties. He also said his country enjoyed good relationship with Tel Aviv, and that Hamas is the legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. He further said that the American base in Qatar was to protect his country from the ambitions of neighboring countries, without naming them. Sheikh Tamim's comments have sparked much debate in social media outlets. Activists have raised urgent questions in the media as to why Doha was seeking to break its Gulf ties established decades ago. What does Qatar stand to gain by cozying up to Iran and Israel and damage its relationship with Arab countries? Why do other Arab countries not have a similar perception? Analysts are of the opinion that Qatar itself does not have any convincing answers. This state is of uncertainty is evidence by itself that Doha is being brainwashed by the Iranian regime. But Doha still believes it can play an influential role in the Middle East affairs, analysts say.
