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Why should Qatar reconcile with Egypt?

To improve ties with its Gulf neighbors, Qatar should re-evaluate its ties with Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood and restore its relations with the current Egyptian government.
Qatar's Foreign Minister Khalid bin Mohammed Al Attiyah (front) attends an extraordinary session of the Arab League at the league's headquarters in Cairo July 14, 2014. Egypt launched an initiative on Monday to halt fighting between Israel and Palestinian militants, proposing a ceasefire to be followed by talks in Cairo on settling the conflict in which Gaza authorities say more than 170 people have died. REUTERS/Amr Abdallah Dalsh  (EGYPT - Tags: POLITICS CIVIL UNREST) - RTR3YNM0

Ever since the popularly backed coup in Egypt in July 2013, there has been a break in relations between Cairo and Doha affecting not only ties between both states but also other matters of interest. Following the devastating Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip, Qatar’s Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah proposed the establishment of a commercial port in Gaza to be “internationally supervised.” However, it is unlikely that Egypt, which is suspicious of Qatar’s intentions and the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Hamas that runs Gaza, would allow the construction of this vital port to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians in Gaza. That is just one example of how this break in relations has had negative repercussions on third parties.

Qatar landed itself in hot water earlier this year with its Gulf neighbors following accusations that it is backing the Muslim Brotherhood. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates withdrew their ambassadors in March only to reinstate them this week following the Riyadh Agreement. Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz personally called on the Egyptian government to back the Riyadh Agreement and rebuild ties with Qatar. The Egyptian government welcomed the call and declared it to be a “new era” in Arab ties.

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