Qatar ruled out normalizing relations with Israel during an interview with Axios earlier this week.
According to the report, the emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, said his country had previously maintained ties “when there were prospects for peace” with the Palestinians, but that it “lost hope” after the 2008-09 Israeli ground incursion into the Gaza Strip.
He said that while Qatar continues to have a “working relationship” with Israel to help the Palestinians, he does not envision the country joining the Abraham Accords “in the absence of a real commitment to a two-state solution.”
The country has been involved in ensuring that Israel help move over aid to Palestinians in Gaza and has itself transferred hundreds of millions of dollars of aid to Hamas.
Al Thani was at the White House on Monday meeting with U.S. President Joe Biden during the same week that Israeli President Isaac Herzog made his first visit to the United Arab Emirates and Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz traveled to Bahrain.
Al Thani was the first Gulf leader to visit Biden at the White House. During the visit, Biden said he plans to designate Qatar as one of America’s major non-NATO allies.
