After decades of fluctuating diplomatic relations, Qatar will allow Israeli soccer fans to fly directly to Doha for the Soccer World Cup; marking an important development in their strained relationship. This, there were no direct flights between the countries, who have not established formal diplomatic ties just yet. Qatar was the first Gulf Cooperation Council state to recognise Israel, following a visit by the Israeli prime minister in 1996. After Netanyahu came under fire for opening the Western Wall Tunnel to the public, Qatar shrewdly hosted the Israeli trade minister at the Middle East and North Africa summit; causing outrage in the Arab World who described it as “threatening to the higher interests of the Arab Nation.” Giving into regional pressures from its Arab neighbours, Qatar has been critical of Israel’s transgressions against Palestine, “ruling out full normalisation” until the creation of the Palestinian state. However, the country continues to position itself as a mediator between Israel and the Arab World. After Israel attacked the Gaza Strip in 2008, Qatar echoed its Arab neighbours in condemning what it called a “flagrant savage aggression against the Palestinian people,” but then went on to offer its assistance in arranging a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel in 2009. This plays into Qatar’s diplomatic ambitions as a peaceful country that can enter alliances with major powers such as Israel and remain connected to its pan-Arab roots. Clearly, Qatar prioritises its own geopolitical interests over its presumed loyalty to the Arab World; in 2003, Qatar’s foreign minister was quoted saying that the country would “consider a peace treaty with Israel if it served the Gulf state’s interests.” Recently, however, there has been a marked change in Israeli-Arab relations; many Arab states have reassessed their stance on Israel due to the growing appeal of diplomatic ties with the country. Hoping to improve their relationship with the United States, Bahrain, Morocco and the UAE signed full normalisation agreements with Israel two years ago, brokered by the Trump administration. But Qatar’s ties to Israel have been inconsistent at best-the country has overestimated its bargaining power as a political player. In 2010, Qatar attempted to reestablish its relationship with Israel in exchange for the latter acknowledging Qatar’s role as a peacekeeper in the Middle East; this proposal was rejected by Prime Minister Netanyahu. Qatar’s refusal to acknowledge Israel’s upper hand will inevitably hurt its relationship with the United States. *