In the past two weeks, tensions between Egypt and Qatar have risen, especially after the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement about the ongoing violence in Egypt. Cairo considered it brazen interference in its internal affairs and an attempt to distort its image before the international community.
In the official Qatari statement released Jan. 3, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its concern about the growing number of victims from demonstration suppression and the large number of people being killed throughout Egypt. It also asserted that a dialogue between all the political trends is the only solution to the crisis and that a security approach will not lead to stability. Moreover, the ministry condemned the decision to designate political movements as terrorist organizations, stating, “This decision initiated the policy of firing at protesters to kill them.”