YONI BEN MENACHEM -- On Monday, Doha will host an Arab-Islamic summit initiated by Qatar to discuss responses to Israel’s airstrike on senior Hamas leaders gathered in the Qatari capital.
Beyond the summit, Qatar is also pushing in international forums, including the UN and the International Court of Justice, to isolate Israel diplomatically and impose sanctions. For many Arab states, the Israeli strike — the first of its kind on Gulf soil — marked a historic turning point. It triggered widespread condemnations and solidarity visits to Doha, with calls for a united Arab defense posture against future Israeli actions.
The choice of Doha is symbolic: Qatar wants to transform the site of Israel’s military action into a stage for political confrontation. The summit will also address Qatar’s weakened role as mediator in Gaza and the broader goal of ending the war there. Officials say discussions will include collective Arab security measures and countering what they describe as an “Israeli-American strategy to dominate the region.”
Qatari commentators, echoing government positions, argue that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pursues “peace through strength,” escalating with force first, then negotiating later. For Qatar, the strike was not an isolated incident but part of Israel’s broader strategy to pressure non-compliant Arab states.