Saudi Arabia and Qatar have taken their diplomatic dispute to Mecca. Riyadh announced on Aug. 17 that it would reopen a border crossing -- and even charter flights -- to allow Qatari pilgrims into the kingdom after a round of negotiations with a member of Qatar's royal family. But the gesture, at first glance a sign of warming ties between the two Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) members, has only added fuel to the fire. Both countries are now using the pilgrimage as a weapon in their monthslong dispute. The tactic is nothing new for feuding governments in the Middle East; Iran accused Saudi Arabia of politicizing the hajj during their quarrel last year. Doha and Riyadh, however, have breathed new life into the strategy through social media, turning Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, along with state-backed media outlets, into minefields of often dubious information. The crisis in the GCC is deepening...
