Why In Iran... Not In Qatar

Why In Iran... Not In Qatar ?

The worst news one could wake up to in these dark days for the Arab and Islamic nations, amidst the turbulent and tumultuous waves of this vast sea, is the death of one of its men, someone who has influenced many of its youth. This news brings with it deep feelings of pain and sorrow. May God have mercy on the deceased and reward him abundantly.

As soon as the news of Ismail Haniyeh's assassination spread, it brought with it many questions. One of the most pressing was: Why was he assassinated in Iran and not in Qatar? There are numerous answers people have offered to this question—some suggest it was an attempt to embroil Iran in the conflict, others believe it was meant to embarrass Iran, and so on. However, I have a different answer that I would like to share with the esteemed reader.

In 1992, former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres published a book titled "The New Middle East." After discussing the necessity of peace and asserting that Israel’s security can only be fully achieved through peace, as it cannot be defeated in war, Peres moved on to outline his vision for the new Middle East—a vision he dreams of and seeks to realize. This vision involves establishing agreements between Arab countries and Israel, arguing that this is feasible. He cited examples of France and Germany, as well as the United States and Japan, overcoming past conflicts to establish peace and cooperation. He noted that the barriers to such agreements and treaties—such as the extensive bloodshed and geographical distance that had separated these nations—do not exist between the Arab world and Israel, and if they do, they are much less significant.

Peres's vision for the new Middle East resembles the European Union, with Israel serving as the region's center and leader. He even hinted at the possibility of military agreements between the countries in the region, akin to a mutual defense pact, stating in Chapter Four: "The only way to ensure a reasonable level of national security in this era of ground-to-ground missiles and nuclear capabilities is to establish a regional system for monitoring and surveillance." He further suggested in Chapter Ten: "The Red Sea has a central strategic value, which is why it could become a bay of true comprehensive peace. We can take cooperative measures to build trust, such as establishing mutual early warning networks regarding military movements."

There are many more aspects contained within the pages of this book that I will refrain from delving into, as doing so would lead us away from the main purpose of this article, which is to answer the question posed above.

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From Peres's book and his words, the importance of peace with Arab countries to Israel becomes clear. Israel understands that its security cannot be ensured amidst ongoing conflicts and disputes with the region's countries, and the only way to guarantee its safety and stability is by forming a regional union similar to the European Union. This explains Israel’s eagerness to build strong relationships and establish economic and military agreements with Arab countries.

This strategic importance Israel places on good relations with Arab nations is what prevented it from assassinating Ismail Haniyeh in Qatar. Israel seeks to maintain its goodwill with the Arabs, and such an act would have embarrassed Arab countries and made them lose trust in Israel. This is a card that Arabs have not yet fully exploited to pressure Israel in its war with Gaza, unless the Arabs have already embraced Shimon Peres's vision regarding those he referred to as "fundamentalists."

What further supports this analysis is a past event when Mossad attempted to assassinate Khaled Mashal in Jordan. King Hussein, may God have mercy on him, threatened to cancel the peace treaty unless Israel provided the antidote. Israel complied, fearing the loss of the desired peace that would secure its safety and regional dominance.

Writer: Ayoub Nasser

Levant News