U.S. Working With Qatar to Normalize Israel Ties, Official Says

The U.S. sees Qatar as another Gulf nation potentially prepared to normalize ties with Israel as the Trump administration seeks to keep momentum behind its Middle East peace efforts, a senior State Department official said.

“Qatar has a track record of working with Israel that we think will eventually get them to a broader agreement with the Israelis,” Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Tim Lenderking said in a call with reporters on Thursday. “We think there’s a lot to build on, every country will move at its own pace on normalization, according to its own criteria, but we’re eager for that to happen sooner rather than later.”