Unlike regime, Qataris seek compromise

on: October 15, 2017

As many as 81 percent of the Qataris want a “compromise, in which all the parties make some concessions to each other” in the dispute between the Arab quartet and Qatar, according to a wide-ranging survey.

With the Arab boycott entering its fourth month, the survey results, unsurprisingly, also showed that none of the respondents supported the boycott.

Conducted in August 2017 by a leading professional Arab market research firm, the poll also revealed that 79 percent of Qataris are bitterly opposed to Iran’s policies in the region, with only 16 percent viewing them favorably.

They were even more vehement in their opposition to Iran’s regional proxies, with 90 percent taking a dim view of Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Al Houthis in Yemen.

Given the Doha regime’s support for the Muslim Brotherhood, one could assume that most Qataris, too, back the group. But findings indicate that this is not the case.

Decisions Loom for Qatar as Arab Countries Harden Stance

Despite the royal family’s ties to the group, 56 percent of ordinary citizens view it with suspicion, while 41 percent support their government’s stance towards the Brotherhood.

Qatar’s continued backing of the group has been a major bone of contention in its standoff with the Arab quartet.

In its analysis of the findings, The Washington Institute said that to maintain his popularity, the emir should seek a “middle-ground exit from Qatar’s standoff with other Arab states”.

The views of Qatari citizens on US role in the region were more complex. While only 11 percent said they viewed US foreign policy favorably, 42 percent noted that it was important for Doha to have good relations with Washington.