There is nothing new in an Arab summit becoming an issue rather than addressing one. But this is the first time that the urgent matter of saving Gaza is turned by an Arab state aiming to steal the show into an opportunity to deepen Arab division.

Qatar is right to explore every opportunity, and it makes sense for Qatar to call for a summit soon after the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Gaza, in the name of the Arab-Iranian “Axis of Rejectionism,” since Syria’s call for taking similar steps would surely have been rejected. However, in light of Resolution 1860 and the apparent limits of international diplomacy, it is shocking, if not suspicious, that Doha wanted to hold a summit whose agenda and content were not agreed upon ahead of time by the Arab countries attending. Moreover, the summit was to be held just three days from Kuwait’s Economic Summit, which will be broken into two segments, one for Gaza and the other for the economy, and will include all the Arab countries anyway.

Everyone knows that Qatar has gained much political experience in the past few years and built up “credit” based on opposing Saudi Arabia and on maintaining ties with both Israel and Iran. But Qatar cannot always steal the show. The conditions that allowed Qatar to broker the Doha Accord after the “rejectionist axis” occupied Beirut on May 7 are completely different from those in Gaza. The conditions surrounding Gaza are more complex and will require more than simply bridging differences among feuding domestic groups. It is strange that Doha’s overly “realistic outlook” does not stop it from calling for a summit even after having been told during the Muscat Gulf Summit that such a step was not welcome. Still, Qatar rushed into calling for its emergency summit after the announcement of the Arab Foreign Ministers meeting in Kuwait on Friday.

Qatar should not be reproached for its extreme “flexibility,” which allows it to negotiate totally conflicting differences. It supports “rejectionist movements” and, at the same time, embraces Israeli representative office. It criticizes the United States while welcoming the largest American military base in the region. It organizes dialogue between the various civilizations and religions while providing safe havens for extremists and “takfiris.” Yet what distinguishes Doha is its ambition to play roles that would otherwise be characteristic of bigger, more important Arab countries. Qatar’s repeated attempts to detract from Cairo and Riyadh have turned its ambitions to defiance and caused it to forget its place, losing the “distinctiveness” it had acquired playing the role of pragmatic mediator by implementing “business” principles in the world of politics and conflicts…

Now is not the time to express sarcasm or shock at Doha’s rush to hold half a summit for heads of state so long as its ally Khaled Meshaal still claims victory. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to ask Doha about what resolutions it expects to issue from this summit, even if the quorum is attained, knowing that Resolution 1860 was passed by the Security Council after much efforts and that the ball is still in Hamas’ court regarding the “Egyptian Initiative,” which Mahmoud Abbas openly declares to be the only chance of stopping the bloodshed and resuming Palestinian dialogue and the path of politics.

Qatar is nowadays waiting impatiently for the right moment to issue a founding Arab statement on the Arab conflict with Israel. However, Qatar appears enterprising by proxy rather than using direct diplomatic tactics. It is as if Qatar is attempting to imitate other Gulf States and attempting to steal the show. It is neither able to justify its “emergency summit” to any Gulf country leader, nor has it received unanimous Palestinian approval that can be used as a weapon against apathy, nor is it even on the verge of a historic “Doha Statement” to be added alongside the Doha Accord to its list of achievements, which is constantly shown off in diplomatic circles. It would be unthinkable for the Arabs to withdraw the Arab initiative just to please Tehran, while Jordan and Egypt are not prepared to end all relations with Israel under the pressure of popular demonstrations instigated by rejectionists who follow Meshaal and Haniyeh, who want to end the truce and bring about fighting while sacrificing children.

Qatar is currently in the beginning of a new phase. No sooner had it repaired its relations with Saudi Arabia after years of tension, in addition to gaining recognition on the international stage as a skilled mediator, than it is gambling once again with this credit. It is a gamble to insist on this summit, which not only threatens its reputation, but also endangers the possibility of Arab reconciliation and implementing Resolution 1860, exposing the people of Gaza to even more bloodshed and destruction … If only Qatar would realize that exploiting opportunities while the conflicts worsen is not sound policy, especially when those same countries have the weight and experience to beat Qatar in this game of stealing the show.

This article has been translated from its original Arabic as it appeared on the NOW Lebanon Arabic site.