JEDDAH: A second member of Qatar’s ruling family has joined calls for a national meeting of Qataris to resolve the dispute with its Gulf neighbors.
Appearing on Sky News Arabia, Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani repeated the plea made on Sunday by Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani.
“Since the crisis started I have been living in Paris after I could no longer tolerate seeing strangers roaming our country and interfering in our affairs under the pretext of protecting us from our brothers in Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states,” Sheikh Sultan said.
“It is our national duty now to unite and stand together to purge the country of them.”
Because of mistakes made by the Qatari government, he said, “I have all fears that the Qatari identity will be linked to terrorism.”
The sheikh is the son of Qatar’s foreign minister from 1972 to 1985, Sheikh Suhaim bin Hamad Al-Thani, a noted reformer who helped Qatar resolve many disputes.
Sheikh Sultan said he was saddened to see the Qatari government incubating terrorist organizations and giving them shelter and a platform for their deviant and evil intentions.
“And in that regard I am totally supportive of Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani’s call for a Qatari national meeting, and I hope that the rest of the ruling family and the country’s dignitaries will follow suit in order to immunize our country against the hateful.”
The dispute began in June, when the Anti-Terror Quartet comprising Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt severed diplomatic relations and imposed a trade and travel boycott over Qatar’s financing of terrorist groups and interference in its neighbors’ internal affairs.
On Sunday, Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani urged the people of Qatar to be “the messengers of peace” in the crisis.
He said he felt pain at seeing the dispute going from bad to worse, and called for a meeting at Qatari national level to discuss a crisis “which we can no longer remain silent in.”
Sheikh Abdullah has been active in trying to resolve the crisis, and has met King Salman twice since it began. He obtained Saudi support to open borders during Hajj.
Qatar's Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani joins calls for meeting to end Gulf crisis
Qatar's Sheikh Sultan bin Suhaim Al-Thani joins calls for meeting to end Gulf crisis
Jordan defends UN’s Palestine aid agency, calls for greater international support for its work
- Members of parliament meet UN Relief and Works Agency’s director of affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, to discuss the work it does assisting Palestinian refugees
- They condemn what they describe as the smear campaigns and Israeli legislation that have targeted the agency
AMMAN: Members of Jordan’s parliament on Thursday highlighted the vital role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, and called for increased international support to sustain the services it provides.
Representatives from the parliament’s foreign affairs and Palestine committees met the agency’s director of affairs in Jordan, Olaf Becker, and the director general of the Jordanian Department of Palestinian Affairs, Rafiq Khirfan, to discuss the work it does assisting Palestinian refugees.
The chairs of the committees, Haitham Ziadin and Suleiman Saud, praised Jordan for its efforts under King Abdullah to defend Palestinian rights, halt Israeli military operations in Gaza, and advocate for a just and comprehensive resolution to the conflict between Palestinians and Israelis, the Jordan News Agency reported.
They called for greater international funding for UNRWA, and condemned what they described as smear campaigns and Israeli legislation that have targeted the agency.
The MPs welcomed the recent decision by the UN General Assembly’s Fourth Committee to renew the agency’s mandate until June 2029, and emphasized the need to protect essential services amid escalating humanitarian challenges. They stressed Jordan’s commitment to supporting the agency, and warned that political attacks against it could threaten regional stability.
Becker reaffirmed King Abdullah’s backing for the agency, and outlined its education, health and aid programs. He also noted the challenges it faces, including funding shortfalls and disinformation campaigns.
Khirfan said Jordan continues to defend the agency and its mandate through diplomatic efforts, led by Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, to secure political and financial support.
