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| Qatar orchestrates unity at the Doha 'summit of the Syrian seat' | Qatar orchestrates unity at the Doha 'summit of the Syrian seat' |
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| Arab unity, to paraphrase Gandhi's quip about western civilization, would be a fine thing. But to be fair, this week's Arab League summit in Doha managed to display a pretty impressive common purpose on some of the trickiest of Middle Eastern issues: whether that will make much difference is another matter. | Arab unity, to paraphrase Gandhi's quip about western civilization, would be a fine thing. But to be fair, this week's Arab League summit in Doha managed to display a pretty impressive common purpose on some of the trickiest of Middle Eastern issues: whether that will make much difference is another matter. |
| Syria dominated the conference with a widely-praised speech by Muaz al-Khatib, leader of the Syrian opposition coalition. His resignation 48 hours earlier was swiftly leveraged into a bid for wider support – to the relief of western and Arab governments rightly worried by the fractious nature of the anti-Assad camp and the dominance of the Muslim Brotherhood – the beneficiary of generous support from Qatar. Internal opposition divisions, however, have not disappeared. | Syria dominated the conference with a widely-praised speech by Muaz al-Khatib, leader of the Syrian opposition coalition. His resignation 48 hours earlier was swiftly leveraged into a bid for wider support – to the relief of western and Arab governments rightly worried by the fractious nature of the anti-Assad camp and the dominance of the Muslim Brotherhood – the beneficiary of generous support from Qatar. Internal opposition divisions, however, have not disappeared. |
| The main event was both powerfully symbolic and intensely political when Khatib and colleagues took their places at the summit table behind the pre-Ba'athist era flag of the Syrian Arab Republic. It echoed how Libyan rebels replaced Muammar Gaddafi in the league seat in 2011 – thus the furious abuse from Damascus of "collaborator, treacherous, backward Arab regimes." | The main event was both powerfully symbolic and intensely political when Khatib and colleagues took their places at the summit table behind the pre-Ba'athist era flag of the Syrian Arab Republic. It echoed how Libyan rebels replaced Muammar Gaddafi in the league seat in 2011 – thus the furious abuse from Damascus of "collaborator, treacherous, backward Arab regimes." |
| Not everyone in Doha was happy with this change: Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon, neutrals or defenders of Assad, opposed it. But Qatari determination, Saudi and Gulf support and passivity elsewhere carried the day in an organization which prefers unconvincing consensus to open division. Jordan's King Abdullah nodded approvingly during Khatib's speech, calling for a "comprehensive political solution" for Syria in his own address - even as new details emerged of his country's low-profile role in backing the fighting opposition. | Not everyone in Doha was happy with this change: Algeria, Iraq and Lebanon, neutrals or defenders of Assad, opposed it. But Qatari determination, Saudi and Gulf support and passivity elsewhere carried the day in an organization which prefers unconvincing consensus to open division. Jordan's King Abdullah nodded approvingly during Khatib's speech, calling for a "comprehensive political solution" for Syria in his own address - even as new details emerged of his country's low-profile role in backing the fighting opposition. |
| Qatar demonstrated again that the league can be a very flexible friend: member states agreed that each could help the Syrian people defend themselves, including by sending weapons. But none are bound to do so and it is unclear whether more will now start. It's the Arab equivalent of the "variable geometry" or "two speeds" concepts beloved of European Union policy wonks. Qatar made clear, in any case, that it did not believe in the likelihood, as opposed to the principle, of a political solution to the crisis. Hamad bin Jassim, its prime minister, warned that Assad had made gains while the diplomacy of Kofi Annan and Brahimi had wasted time. | Qatar demonstrated again that the league can be a very flexible friend: member states agreed that each could help the Syrian people defend themselves, including by sending weapons. But none are bound to do so and it is unclear whether more will now start. It's the Arab equivalent of the "variable geometry" or "two speeds" concepts beloved of European Union policy wonks. Qatar made clear, in any case, that it did not believe in the likelihood, as opposed to the principle, of a political solution to the crisis. Hamad bin Jassim, its prime minister, warned that Assad had made gains while the diplomacy of Kofi Annan and Brahimi had wasted time. |
| The emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, was keen to emphasize that this was an event to realize the aspirations of the Arab spring - in which Qatar has played such a galvanizing and controversial role while maintaining the Gulf status quo at home. Tunisia and Libya both sent their post-revolutionary leaders to last year's Baghdad summit. But Egypt's Mohammed Mursi, attending his first league conclave, gave a rambling and unimpressive speech which included a bizarre call for an "Arab concept" of human rights. Nodding off in front of the cameras also guaranteed instant ridicule on social media in Egypt and far beyond. Bin Jassim, incidentally, went out of his way to explain that Qatar, disliked in Egypt for its firm support of the Brotherhood (especially on Al-Jazeera), had not offered to buy either the Pyramids or the Suez canal. | The emir, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, was keen to emphasize that this was an event to realize the aspirations of the Arab spring - in which Qatar has played such a galvanizing and controversial role while maintaining the Gulf status quo at home. Tunisia and Libya both sent their post-revolutionary leaders to last year's Baghdad summit. But Egypt's Mohammed Mursi, attending his first league conclave, gave a rambling and unimpressive speech which included a bizarre call for an "Arab concept" of human rights. Nodding off in front of the cameras also guaranteed instant ridicule on social media in Egypt and far beyond. Bin Jassim, incidentally, went out of his way to explain that Qatar, disliked in Egypt for its firm support of the Brotherhood (especially on Al-Jazeera), had not offered to buy either the Pyramids or the Suez canal. |
| Palestine, the great cause of the Arab world for the last 65 years, got its usual top billing, with deeply pessimistic assessments from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, as well as Jordan's Abdullah. Both spent time with Barack Obama during his Israel-focused Middle East tour last week. It is hard to imagine that whatever they say in public they are privately upbeat about prospects for a significant shift in US policy in Obama's second term – one, that is, that will change Binyamin Netanyahu's position and revive rapidly diminishing hopes for a two-state solution to the conflict. | Palestine, the great cause of the Arab world for the last 65 years, got its usual top billing, with deeply pessimistic assessments from Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian president, as well as Jordan's Abdullah. Both spent time with Barack Obama during his Israel-focused Middle East tour last week. It is hard to imagine that whatever they say in public they are privately upbeat about prospects for a significant shift in US policy in Obama's second term – one, that is, that will change Binyamin Netanyahu's position and revive rapidly diminishing hopes for a two-state solution to the conflict. |
| Qatar came to the rescue with the announcement of a $250m down-payment on a $1bn fund to help save occupied East Jerusalem from being "eaten up" by Israel. The league also plans to remind the US that its 2002 Arab Peace Initiative - which offers Israel recognition by all Arab states in return for a just solution of the Palestinian issue – will not remain on the table for ever. | Qatar came to the rescue with the announcement of a $250m down-payment on a $1bn fund to help save occupied East Jerusalem from being "eaten up" by Israel. The league also plans to remind the US that its 2002 Arab Peace Initiative - which offers Israel recognition by all Arab states in return for a just solution of the Palestinian issue – will not remain on the table for ever. |
| In addition, a "mini-summit" in Cairo is to tackle the vexed issue of reconciliation between Abbas's PLO and the Islamists of Hamas who control the Gaza Strip - vital to achieve Palestinian unity. The Qatari emir's own visit to Gaza last October was a characteristically high-profile attempt to challenge the Israeli blockade and break Hamas's political isolation. It certainly captured the headlines. But it still hasn't made any fundamental difference. | In addition, a "mini-summit" in Cairo is to tackle the vexed issue of reconciliation between Abbas's PLO and the Islamists of Hamas who control the Gaza Strip - vital to achieve Palestinian unity. The Qatari emir's own visit to Gaza last October was a characteristically high-profile attempt to challenge the Israeli blockade and break Hamas's political isolation. It certainly captured the headlines. But it still hasn't made any fundamental difference. |
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