Rift in the Gulf: Qatar Isolated, Diplomats Ejected from other Gulf States

The shifting dynamics in the Arab world took a dramatic turn on Sunday when Qatari nationals were told to leave Egypt and the other Gulf States including Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates, all of whom also severed transport ties including flights on Etihad airline. Yemen joined the other Gulf States on Monday, cutting ties to Qatar. The move was motivated by Qatar’s increasingly close ties to Iran and according to the countries that acted against it, Qatar’s support for terrorism. Qataris who live in those countries and those who are just visiting were given two weeks to pack up and get out. The Saudis also dropped Qatar from the coalition of states it leads against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen. A statement issued through the Saudi state-run news agency explained that Qatar “embraces multiple terrorist and sectarian groups aimed at disturbing stability in the region, including the Muslim Brotherhood, ISIS and Al-Qa’ida, and promotes the message and schemes of these groups through their media constantly.” The reference to “their media” is an accusation against Al-Jazeera, the Qatari-run network that has become a major force in bringing news from the Middle East to the world. It was reported this week that Qatar had ordered senior Hamas officials who are responsible for liaising with the West Bank to leave Doha, where the terrorist group’s so-called “political arm” was living and working in-exile. On Sunday, Hamas officials denied the report, saying it would remain in Qatar.