«--[· Preface ·]--»
After the Israeli air strike on Qatar, Russian media criticized American protection. What do you think of Russian media's comments? Regarding this incident, why is it said that Qatar's statement plays into Israel's hands?
«——【·Israeli missiles fall towards Doha·】——»
Israeli military confirmed that more than 10 fighter jets had launched “surgical strikes” on Hamas negotiating delegation positions, killing six people in the attack, including the son of Hamas senior official Khalil Haia.
This is the first time since the outbreak of the conflict in the Gulf, Israel has been the eighth country in a row to carry out attacks on the Gulf since the outbreak of the conflict in the Middle East. Qatar's Foreign Ministry has rarely used "national terrorism" to qualify the attack, and members of the Arab League such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the UAE have issued statements condemning Israel's open violations of sovereignty.
More dramatically, the U.S. performance in the incident completely exposed the hypocrisy of the allied system – Trump declared on social media that “it’s not my decision,” but Qatar’s Prime Minister Mohammed revealed that the U.S. had only issued a warning 10 minutes after the attack, when the missiles had landed long ago.
With its unique geographical location, Qatar has long been home to Udead Air Force Base and Hamas’ political office, where the Afghan Taliban also established offices to negotiate peace with the United States.
This “dangerous balance” was once seen as a symbol of the wisdom of the Middle East, but is now completely crushed by Israeli missiles. Panic on the streets of Doha spreads rapidly and people start to question: Where is the bottom line of security of the Gulf nation when America’s “protection” turns into a paper blank?
«——【·Double standards of American protection·】——»
Russia’s media commentary is bloody: “Qatar’s encounters reveal the truth of American protection – NATO allies are the diamonds of their hands and Middle Eastern partners are the mud of their feet.”
For NATO members, the United States strictly complies with Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty, which states that "an attack on one of its members is considered an attack on all its members".
But for Middle Eastern allies, the U.S. applies the “selective protection” principle. Take Qatar for example, although the two sides signed a $1.2 trillion defense agreement and the U.S. Central Command’s front-end command was located near Doha, the U.S. chose “emergency notification” rather than military intervention when Israeli missiles hit.
This double-standard logic was particularly evident during the Trump administration. In June this year, after Iran launched a retaliatory attack on Al Udeid Air Base, the United States quickly imposed sanctions on Iran; But this time Israel attacked Qatar, the United States shifted all the responsibility to the Netanyahu government.
«——【·Qatar's dilemma·】——»
As the most active mediator in the Middle East, Qatar’s diplomatic role is paradoxical.Since the outbreak of the Israeli conflict in 2023, Qatar has promoted several rounds of ceasefire negotiations and exchanges of detainees, and even reached a seven-day ceasefire agreement in January this year.
Hamas's Political Bureau has been located in Doha for a long time, which is not only its fund-raising and outreach center, but also an important channel for communication with Israel. However, this unique position also makes Qatar a thorn in Israel's side.
At the time of the attack, the Hamas negotiating delegation was discussing the latest U.S. proposed ceasefire.Israel’s logic is clear: weakening Hamas’s foreign political coalition, forcing the focus of negotiations to shift to Egypt or Turkey, thus controlling the negotiating initiative.
The more far-reaching impact is that through this move, Israel sends a signal to the whole Middle East that any country that supports Hamas may be targeted. Faced with this dilemma, Qatar has fallen into a double crisis of diplomacy and security.
Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed stressed that "the mediation role will not be weakened" and announced the formation of a legal team to hold Israel accountable; Qatar has to consider the bottom line of its relationship with the United States-after all, the U.S. military presence in Qatar is still an important guarantee for its security. This ambivalence was vividly shown at the Arab-Islamic emergency summit: although the participating countries unanimously condemned Israel, the final statement did not mention any substantive sanctions.
What happened to Qatar has also made other Gulf countries cold. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and other countries have actively participated in international mediation in recent years, but Israel's attack has made them realize that the role of mediator may become the trigger. The BBC commented: "The Gulf countries suddenly found that the American protection they exchanged for petrodollars was vulnerable to Israeli missiles."
«——【·Chinese emergency brakes·】——»
On September 11, China's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Fujin, in an emergency meeting of the Security Council, severely condemned the Israeli attacks, stressing that "military means are not the way out of the problem." China also called on the international community to jointly promote a ceasefire, demand that Israel immediately stop its military operations in Gaza and fully restore access to humanitarian supplies.
When the United States tried to put responsibility on Israel, China clearly pointed out that the cause of the incident was “the imbalance of positions of individual countries outside the territory”.
This pragmatic move has allowed the Middle East to see a different diplomatic choice than the United States. China’s diplomatic efforts have also been responded by the countries in the region. Qatar’s Prime Minister, Mohammed, especially thanked China for “hosting justice” when he spoke to Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Countries such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt and others supported China’s stance in the Security Council vote.This interaction marks subtle changes in the Middle East’s diplomatic landscape – more and more countries are seeking diversified security, while China’s “global security initiative” is becoming an important option.
The far-reaching impact is that China has sent a clear signal to the world through this incident: in international affairs, China has always stood on the side of international law and justice and opposed any form of unilateralism and hegemonic behavior.
«——【·conclusion·】——»
Israel's attack on Qatar tore open the last fig leaf of American hegemony. When NATO's collective defense clause failed in the Middle East, and when America's "strategic allies" fell victims, Middle Eastern countries finally realized that real security can only be in their own hands.
China’s urgent braking brakes have given rationality and hope to this crisis.By speaking out in the Security Council, promoting humanitarian aid and strengthening cooperation with countries in the region, China is providing new solutions to the Middle East peace process.