The small Gulf emirate plays a key role in negotiations between Israel and Hamas. And offers an example of a pragmatism that may be more promising than one-sided German partisanship.
When German politicians travel to Qatar, like Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier did this Wednesday, they have to be prepared for one thing: they will receive criticism at home. Federal Economics Minister Robert Habeck noticed this when he flew to Doha after the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine to bag a gas deal and, in the opinion of many, bowed a little too deeply to the host. Or when Chancellor Olaf Scholz received Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani in Berlin after the Hamas massacre on October 7th.