MAKING FRIENDS.

By Dylan Matthews

The actual war might be degenerating into bloody urban warfare, but at least Israel's coming out ahead politically, right? Right?

Qatar said on Friday it had frozen its ties with Israel and would ask the Israel to close its trade office in Doha and its staff to leave within a week.

Qatar is the only Gulf Arab state to have ties with Israel.

For those keeping track, that makes three countries - Venezuela, Bolivia, and Qatar - that have broken off ties with Israel since the war started, along with Turkey, which has called for the UN to expel Israel until the assault ends.

Now, obviously these decisions don't have much practical import. Venezuela and Bolivia don't have much of any impact on Middle Eastern politics, and Qatar is small and distant enough for their decision to not have a large effect either. But when Israel is no longer recognized by any Gulf state, and when the only other democracy in the region is trying to force it out of international institutions, some reflection over whether this was worth the diplomatic cost is in order.