On Wednesday evening, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, Qatar’s emir, will host President Trump for an opulent dinner at his Doha palace, marking the peak of Qatar’s recent diplomatic efforts. This visit is expected to include the offer of a luxury jet to the president, reportedly without any conditions attached.
President Trump, who has referred to the emir as a “great gentleman” and “friend,” is honoring Qatar by choosing it as one of the first destinations for his second term’s foreign visits. Regarding the gifted aircraft, the president has stated he would be “foolish” not to accept such a generous present, despite objections from Democrats and some of his own supporters.
This development represents a significant shift for Qatar, a small Gulf nation that was once sharply criticized by the president eight years ago as a “major funder of terrorism.” At that time, Trump aligned with Qatar’s regional adversaries who had imposed a blockade on Doha, demanding an end to what he described as the country’s “extremist ideology.”
Since those strained relations, Qatar has made persistent efforts to rehabilitate its global reputation, investing millions in lobbying efforts in Washington and other capitals. Among the lobbyists involved was Pam Bondi, who later became the U.S. attorney general.
A critical component of Qatar’s image transformation was its hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Following the tournament, when Hamas-led militants initiated a conflict with Israel that resulted in prolonged violence in Gaza, Qatar played a pivotal role as an intermediary between the militant group and Israel.
“Qatar’s current strategy is not only to enjoy its wealth and the prestige of President Trump’s visit but also to assert its renewed status on the international stage,” said Simon Henderson, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy.
0 Comments
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!