A bittersweet outcome
On the Palestinian final solution
I wrote several posts about Jews and Muslims on this Substack. You can find the links to them at the end of this post. Two of them I wrote after Oct 7th 2023, expressing my dismay over the war that I saw coming. I made it clear in them that I consider the one state solution – meaning an ethnic Jewish state - the only workable solution.
I suggested that the only decent way to achieve that is by compensating the Palestinians for leaving and penalizing the Arab states that would refuse to accept them. Anything else would only help to perpetuate the conflict.
My suggestions only resonated with a few of my Jewish readers, while I also lost some subscribers. I keep underestimating the staying power of antisemitism, and that is not the only thing I underestimated. I couldn’t have dreamed of what Trump came up with.
I am a little bitter, because it could have been done without the bloodshed and destruction.
When the war started, my first thought was that it cannot be accidental.
The Ukraine war was going pretty badly, the great Ukrainian counter-offensive was failing spectacularly and the Biden administration was very much in need of a distraction. I can perfectly imagine Biden giving a call to Netanyahu giving him a free hand in dealing with Hamas the way he sees fit.
Not a false flag operation necessarily, but a little nudge to create a conflict that can open the door for a war of righteous retribution. The scorched earth strategy also didn’t seem accidental.
As I said in my post:
The answer is one state with defendable borders, from the river to the sea.
Without Palestinians. It does not have to be ugly and it cannot possibly be uglier than it already is
The war was the ugly way to handle it. Israel underestimated its own readiness, and even more importantly, the goodwill benefits of the terrorist attacks which evaporated very quickly.
Antisemitism is more virulent around the world (and even on this platform) than it has ever been since WWII.
Then Donald Trump got elected. I am sure that I’m not the first one underestimating him. His idea of taking over Gaza is sheer genius. He will do what I suggested, paying Palestinians to move; except that half of the work is already done. He has the power to compel Arab states to accept them.
US control over the land formerly known as the Gaza strip has several advantages:
While we don’t know how sovereignty issues will be resolved, we can assume that the USA will fully control the land. This could become the most important strategic location for the US in the Middle-East, as it would put the US directly in the center of Middle-East politics.
It would also mean direct access to three strategic business opportunities:
The Ben Gurion Canal (to compete with the Suez Canal)
Drilling off-shore for oil and gas in the recently discovered fields off the Israeli coast
Participation in the project of building an international city to compete with the likes of Singapore and Dubai
All three projects represent a historic opportunity for cooperation in the region. The resulting business interests may be highly conducive for much improved political cooperation as well.
When I wrote my post, I considered the moral aspects of the conflict focusing on the most obvious problems, the need for permanent peace.
The genius of the Trump plan is its focus on the outcome. It is about making tough decisions to arrive to an outcome everybody benefits from. Even the apparent ‘losers’, the Palestinians.
In the end, this war may turn out to be the beginning of a boom for the whole region. It could even be argued, that the shock of the war was a prerequisite for this positive change.
Netanyahu is right:
Back from DC, Netanyahu says Trump's Gaza plan 'much better' for Israel than alternatives.
Can you imagine? You have a nasty neighbour harassing you for years; then your best friend helps you evict him, then move in to his place. What’s there not to like?
Like with most of Trump’s statements and action, the opposition from the predictable sources are furious.
I think the plan has a bright future, but its most important feature will still be: PEACE.
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I would love to have some links here from the supporters of the Palestinian cause (kill the Jews), but I have not yet found a single rational argument against the Trump plan.
Feel free to suggest some!
References
In Israel, US senators dismiss Trump's Gaza plan, say Arab states to have viable alternative
Israel weighs future of ceasefire as Netanyahu praises Trump’s plan to take over Gaza
Scorched earth tactics do more harm than good, which is why Israel was losing the PR war and igniting antisemitic sentiments. I also thought Trump’s response was genius, solving many problems with one innovative idea. However, my response to all of it was, “Don’t start wars. If you start a war, don’t be surprised if the response is a stealth attack”. My opinion, they needed more money and see it as an opportunity for bloodlust and stirring up more hatred.” They seem to love committing horrors, they’re always so gleeful, parading the dead bodies like trophies. I’ve been there and have seen bad behavior and poor living conditions on both sides. But explain to me why it’s so easy to identify the difference. Visiting the mosque in Jerusalem was gloomy and foreboding. Arab housing stark and rocky while Israeli housing was green and floral. Little things like that tells you a lot. The Palestinian Christians are warm and welcoming, while angry youth run after cars throwing rocks. Like most societies you have your creators and builders and your destroyers full of anger and resentment.
Remember the Liberty
That is the definition of antisemitism!