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There are clear words with which the Israeli ambassador in Geneva, Meirav Eilon Shahar (54), intervenes with UN Director General Tatiana Walovaja (65): In a letter that Blick has received, she complains about complaints in the UN building in Geneva . Eilon Shahar denounces the “spread of propaganda and disinformation”. She blames Qatar as the author.
Stumbling Block is a Qatar-sponsored exhibition that aims to showcase six Palestinian cities. This also includes Be’er Sheva and Jaffa, which are located on Israeli territory. “This is a denial of Israel’s territorial integrity and our right to exist,” the ambassador criticizes. Jerusalem is also called a Palestinian city. This undermines ‘the historical bond with the Jewish people’. The city’s status is controversial under international law.
The questionable exhibition is not the only reason Meirav Eilon Shahar is concerned about contacting the UN Director General. An anti-Semitic brochure entitled “The Story of Fire and Blood” was recently distributed in the UN Human Rights Chamber. The brochure “glorifies terrorism and portrays Jews with big noses and propagates anti-Semitic conspiracies,” the Israeli ambassador criticizes. Your country calls for an investigation.
“We are aware of this matter.”
As part of another exhibition, a poster showing Ido Avigal and Nadine Awad: two Israeli children who became victims of Hamas terror in 2021 was on display in the UN building in Geneva. Israel’s accusation: The Palestinians decorated themselves with Israeli victims.
The office of the UN Director General confirmed receipt of the Israeli complaint to Blick: “We are aware of this matter. Our Director General has contacted the Permanent Mission of Israel.” Qatar’s ambassador to Geneva left a request unanswered.
Anti-Semitism in the guise of Geneva is symptomatic of the double game that the desert state of Qatar has been playing for years and happily adding fuel to the fire. In recent years, Qatar has managed to make itself indispensable in the diplomatic arena through smart tactics. While Switzerland talks a lot about its good offices, Qatar creates facts with actions.
Qatar is mainly concerned with power and influence
Regardless of whether the negotiations take place with Hamas or the Taliban, no one can ignore Doha at this point. The Emir of Qatar, Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani (43), maintains excellent relations in all directions. He is courting both Taliban rulers and Hamas terrorists. This assures him power and influence.
According to Islamic scholar Reinhard Schulze (70) from the University of Bern, the capital of Qatar is based on three pillars: sports, energy trade and patronage.
Sports: The 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar brought the desert state into living rooms around the world via television. But even before Gianni Infantino’s (53) deal with Qatar, Qatar made a name for itself with the sport, says Islam expert Schulze: “This tradition goes back to the end of the 19th century.”
Energy trading: Qatar has been trading in oil since 1939 and gas since 1984. This earned the desert state billions, from which Qatar built the international hub of the state-owned company Qatar Airways.
Patronage: Qatar created an Arab alternative to the American CNN with the TV channel Al Jazeera. The TV station is a soft power tool that Qatar is using to become the Arab voice. Since 2017, the emirate has increasingly seen itself in the role of an arbiter in the Arab world, Schulze analyzes: “The emirate benefited from the fact that the Taliban, Hamas or others saw the emirate as an honest mediator.” Taliban and Hamas officials can come and go in Qatar.
At the same time, Qatar is flirting with the West. The desert state presents itself as a loyal ally and provides an important base for the US air force. And Qatar also maintains good, under-the-radar relations with Israel.
Support for Hamas even came with Jerusalem’s blessing: In 2018, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, 74, allowed Qatar to bring $15 million in suitcases through tunnels into the Gaza Strip to pay the salaries of about 20,000 Hamas employees. Israel wanted to alleviate the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. But since Hamas’ terrorist attack on Israel on October 7, the international community has viewed Qatar’s cooperation with Hamas with suspicion.
Despite the anger caused by the anti-Israel exhibition in Geneva: Israel remains dependent on Qatar. The release of the previous hostages came about thanks to Qatar’s mediation. There are still more than 130 hostages in the hands of Hamas. To free them, Netanyahu needs Doha.
Source:Blick
I am Liam Livingstone and I work in a news website. My main job is to write articles for the 24 Instant News. My specialty is covering politics and current affairs, which I’m passionate about. I have worked in this field for more than 5 years now and it’s been an amazing journey. With each passing day, my knowledge increases as well as my experience of the world we live in today.
