The Qatari accord, which appears to have resolved a major sticking point in efforts to reconcile Hamas and the Palestinian Authority's governing Fatah movement of Mahmoud Abbas, is just the latest influential initiative by the tiny Gulf emirate.
It was Qatar that helped finance the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, now that country's largest elected political party, and that is aiding the Islamist government now in Tunisia. And it was Qatar that led the Arab League to denounce the Libyan regime of Moammar Gadhafi, and trigger NATO's forceful entry into the Libyan civil war.
It is also Qatar that is driving the Arab League initiative against the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad, threatening to put Arab troops into the fight and supporting the opposition's largest single group: the Muslim Brotherhood.
Now, in bringing together Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal and Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and orchestrating the formation of a government of unity in the Palestinian territories, one headed by Mr. Abbas, the royal family in the Qatari capital of Doha have closed the gap in their crescent of influence that stretches from Tunisia to Syria.
At the same time, they have effectively replaced Iran as the outside country with the greatest influence over Hamas.
The biggest single hurdle to forging a Palestinian unity government – one that reconciles the militant Islamic movement Hamas and the ruling Fatah party that controls the Palestinian Authority – was the presence of Salam Fayyad, the PA's prime minister.
While many in the West look favourably on Mr. Fayyad, and his impressive success in building the infrastructure of a Palestinian state in the West Bank, Hamas regards him as the enemy. It's been under his watch that Palestinian security forces have frequently rounded up Hamas activists, and held them in Palestinian prison without charge.
It also was Mr. Fayyad who had insisted that Hamas recognize Israel before it became part of an earlier attempt to forge a unity government. In this, Hamas sees someone who won't stand up to the Western powers.
Until today, Mr. Abbas had held firm to the position that Mr. Fayyad, leader of a small political party called the Third Way, would be Mr. Abbas's choice to be prime minister of a unity government. Undoubtedly, Mr. Abbas was taking into account the view of his Western benefactors, especially the United States, and the trust they had in Mr. Abbas who had served for several years in the International Monetary Fund and other financial institutions.
In agreeing to the Qatar proposal that he, himself, run the unity government, Mr. Abbas has picked perhaps the second most popular choice in the eyes of the West. Washington has considerable trust in the man whose doggedness has kept the West Bank from returning to its violent ways of the past. Although there are many in the West Bank who doubt his resolve in negotiating with Israel and who believe he too often favours patronage over merit in his appointments and distribution of funds.