Qatar FM says Israel normalisation incompatible with Doha policy

Qatar's Foreign Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani made clear on Wednesday that last year’s normalisation deals between Israel and Arab countries were incompatible with Doha's policies, as they did not offer any prospect for ending Israeli occupation.

The official said that it was not possible to rely on 'economic normalisation' with Israel as long as its occupation of Palestinian lands exists.

"As for our foreign policies, the steps of the Abraham Accord are not compatible with us. Currently, we have not seen appropriate behaviour and stance from Israel to reach a peaceful solution with the Palestinians. I don't think Qatar will take this step to normalise relations," he added.

Al-Thani made his comments during the Global Security Forum 2021 hosted by Doha.

Last year's normalisation agreements formalised ties between the Jewish state and the UAE and Bahrain, later followed by Sudan and Morocco. They were the first to happen with Arab states since Egypt and Jordan struck peace deals with Israel in 1979 and 1994 respectively.

The normalisation deals were universally rejected by Palestinian factions and triggered pro-Palestine solidarity protests across the world.