Two important stories have emerged last week from the Middle East, and for a change, both had to do with peace.
On Wednesday Israel and Syria, in what appeared to be coordinated announcements, said that they had begun indirect talks in Turkey, the first confirmation in eight years of negotiations between the long-time enemies. Also on Wednesday, the tiny Gulf state of Qatar scored a diplomatic coup by pulling off a deal to end Lebanon's protracted crisis, successfully shepherding the negotiations between feuding Lebanese factions to end months of political turmoil and violence.
For the past year, the Saudis have been trying to mediate between the feuding parties in Lebanon. However; they have failed because Saudi Arabia is considered an interested party due to its strong ties with the Hariri family and the position it has taken against Hezbollah. On the other hand, Qatar has good relations with all sides in Lebanon and has the money to back it up. The gas-rich state has invested millions of dollars in major property development projects in Syria. It enjoys good relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and has recently invited the Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to become the first Iranian head of state to attend the annual summit of the Gulf Cooperation Council in Doha. At the same time, Qatar has remained a key ally of Washington, hosting the Al-Udeid Air Base, the largest US military facility in the region.
Turkey meanwhile has emerged as a key player in quietly brokering initial peace moves between Israel and Syria. Similarly to Qatar, Turkey enjoys great relations with both Syria and Israel on economic, political and security levels.
It is hard to compare the future of these two breakthroughs in peace negotiations, especially when considering the rocky road that both Syria and Israel will be facing. Nevertheless, the actions of Turkey and Qatar suggest that key players in the region are now moving away from traditional mediators, such as Saudi Arabia and the United States, and are finding accommodations in countries where they find common ground.
Just today, deposed Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh called for a conference in Qatar to resolve the impasse between Fatah and Hamas. Don't be surprised to see Qatar become a player in the Palestinian-Israeli peace talks. Last April, Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni made her first visit to Qatar. This Arab nation does not have official diplomatic ties with Israel, but in the fast shifting sands of the Arabian deserts...alliances can change quickly.
Jamal Dajani produces the Mosaic Intelligence Report on Link TV
Follow Jamal Dajani on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jamaldajani
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