The feuding Gulf states are trying to make nice

MONTHS AFTERGCCGCC four Arab states imposed an embargo on Qatar in 2017, a minister from the emirate made what he thought was a controversial comparison. “To be honest, we consider ourselves like Israel,” he said, referring to another small country isolated in the region. Improbably, almost three years later, this comparison seems too favourable to Qatar. Thousands of Israelis are visiting Dubai for the first time this December, while Qataris are nowhere to be found. Israel will soon have ambassadors to two of the six members of the Gulf Co-operation Council (), the same number as Qatar—a member.The feud in the Gulf has long seemed intractable. But for the umpteenth time foreign officials are trying to resolve it. Jared Kushner, Donald Trump’s son-in-law and adviser (pictured, in blue mask), recently visited Saudi Arabia and Qatar to push for a deal. The Saudi foreign minister later said one was “within reach”. Qatari officials made encouraging noises too. Yet even if they promise to bury the hatchet, real reconciliation will remain out of reach.