Qatari Emir's speech on Friday, the first of its kind after the boycott crisis, has left everyone disappointed. One had expected him to adopt a reconciliatory approach in the interest of Arab unity. But it proved to the contrary. He offered illogical justification for pursuing his country's wayward path, when he knows well that the only solution to the crisis is to recognize what is right and denounce what is wrong. To admit one's fault, one needs grit and a high level of plain decency. Surely these virtues are not a strongpoint of the emir. He spoke in contradictory terms and took up totally unjustifiable positions. Much of the world knows that the demands of the four Arab countries are legitimate and reasonable. They are in the interest of security and stability in the region, including Qatar. Therefore, there was simply no need for his hysterical speech full of far-fetched accusations. The speech was full of lapses, gaps and fallacies. It was apparently written by somebody who had no clue of Qatar's modern history. The emir offered a two-way solution to the crisis – respect for one another's sovereignty, and commitments binding to all. When one looks at his demand for respecting sovereignty, one will see that Qatar is the foremost country in the region that disrespects the sovereignty of Gulf and Arab countries. This has been proved by the various documents and the series of hard evidence that point to this fact. On the other hand, none of these countries are seeking to trample Qatar's sovereignty. They are, in fact, looking forward to Qatar getting back on the righteous path and returning to its Gulf fraternity. The emir also speaks of "binding commitments," when Qatar is the clear violator. In 2013 and 2014, Qatar had pledged to adhere to the decisions taken at the summit level. But this was not to be. Going by its own record, it is indeed a matter of irony that Qatar speaks of "binding commitments." It would do the entire region good if Qatar comes out clean and admits its faults rather than harp on falsehoods. It is high time it reads this plain writing on the wall.
