President Trump’s solution for Gaza is that once Israel finishes its operations there, it hands over Gaza to the US which in turn aims to turn it into a new “Riviera of the Middle East,” presumably open to both American and Israeli citizens and their friends, while the original owners are shifted to Jordan and Egypt.
In assuming the ownership of Gaza, President Trump narrows the gap between American and Israeli basic goals in a way that Biden could not. However Trump’s ‘solution’ bodes ill for the future of the Middle East. The ‘aggressor’ is openly a combined US/Israel “United States of Israel” and the victims are the original inhabitants of this territory.
Israel’s basic goal has always been to capture more land while America is intent upon having a capable and willing ally with a dominating military force in the Middle East ready, ready and willing to impose Pax American on this region. For nearly 80 years the two objectives ran parallel enough to meet their respective goals.
The war in Gaza changed this arrangement. Israel wanted to crush Hamas and prepare the ground for another land grab no matter what. But fifteen months of war has not produced Israel’s declared objectives. Hamas has not been crushed and dozens of Israeli hostages remain Hamas captives.
Meanwhile Trump, conscious of the sensitivity of the Arabs at large, prefers a softer approach. The question remains: what to do with Gaza? None of the suggested options complied with Israel’s major objectives. In their eyes, a handover to the Palestinian Authority is out of the questions, and a combination of Arab/European armies occupying the area is highly problematic.
Trump’s proposal narrows the gap between American and Israeli basic goals. Far less constrained by Biden’s concerns, Trump’s “outside the box” proposal faces two main obstacles:
The Gazans are to be moved to Jordan and Egypt but both countries have rejected opening their borders to over two million Gazans. Given Jordan’s and Egypt’s reliance on American aid (and the utter obedience of their rulers to the US) this problem may be surpassable, one way or other. But the elephant in the room is the second obstacle.
The Gazans themselves do not want to leave. When the latest ceasefire started, we all witnessed how enthusiastically Gazans returned to north Gaza, knowing full well they are moving to the ruins of their homes. How can the same people be forced to relocate yet again? Horrific scenes would be televised for months on end. There could not be a better gift for the Islamic Republic of Iran, Arab ultra-nationalists and jihadists.
Instead of loosening America’s grip on the Middle East, Trump’s proposed seizure of Gaza will dramatically extend and deepen the roots of its commitment there for a long time to come. Meanwhile its main rivals, Russia and China, watching the spectacle. Who is to tell the Americans how wrong they are?!?
The people of the Middle East must brace themselves for an increase in tensions and horrific destruction due to this adventurous colonisation project.
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