This is one of the big objections to Israel defending itself: if Hamas is taken out, who will run Gaza after the war. The U.S., of course, wants the Palestinian Authority to run it, which is one of the dumbest ideas advanced by Biden and Blinken. The PA is terminally corrupt and, more, still engages in the “slay for pay” program, in which jailed Palestinians who have killed or attacked Jews get a special stipend, which is larger in proportion to how many Jews you’ve killed. Do you want such an organization to run Gaza? Do you want such an organization right next door to Israel?
Unless you’re addlepated, I don’t think so. Other suggestions have been made, like turning Gaza into one of the United Arab Emirates, but that probably couldn’t fly, though it has possibilities. This article in the Free Press makes a suggestion that is at least tenable, as it allows Palestinians to run Palestine. Click to read:
Here’s the proposal (excerpts are indented):
The Gaza war is a chance for Palestinians, with outside help, to make a quantum-leap improvement in their politics and society. And that starts with leadership.
Western countries and perhaps Arab states will inevitably send large sums of reconstruction aid to Gaza after the conflict.
They should use that money to empower a new elite in the territory.
The United States can help arrange to channel the aid through some kind of body whose governors would include Palestinians committed to conditions set by the donors. The main conditions should be radical but hard to argue against:
(1) don’t steal the funds,
(2) fund only civilian projects, and
(3) don’t promote hatred of Israel or the donor countries.
(1) will be tough given the history of both the PA and Hamas, and (3) will be the toughest of all; it will take a generation at least—IF UNRWA, which promotes hatred, is out of the picture.
More:
Palestinians agreeing to administer the reconstruction would need security for themselves and their families, who might have to be removed to safe places abroad, as the current Palestinian leaders would see them as enemies.
Can you run a country if you’re not there?
But I can agree on this:
t would be wasteful (at best) to put reconstruction aid into the hands of the PA or UNRWA, let alone Hamas. The existing political institutions are the problem, not the solution. A random set of Palestinian businesspeople would do a better job than the leaders now in power.
The aid donors can draw on the talents of Palestinian engineers, medical doctors, and lawyers, especially Palestinians who have lived in the West and know firsthand the benefits of living under the rule of law. What is crucial is that the new administrators do not come from the ranks of the PLO (which runs the PA), Hamas, or other terrorist or extremist groups.
There are capable Palestinians who are not ideologically extreme. The aid donors’ challenge is to recruit those who might have the courage, integrity, and ability to spend aid money properly. It bears repeating that this means using the funds to buy not explosives, rockets, and tunnels for terrorist attacks, but apartment buildings, sanitation systems, power plants, and financial support for farms and factories. It should finance schools that teach useful skills rather than indoctrinatin
UNRWA absolutely cannot play a role, and if it doesn’t, then it must be disbanded, for its only mission is to help Palestinian “refugees”. And of course the PA and Hamas must not play a role in governance. Since they both want to, this will be tough.
Finally, some caveats:
Would the newly empowered Palestinians have legitimacy? Not at first, but no Palestinian leader now has a democratic mandate. The issue is not democracy but effective, relatively humane administration. And once in place, new leaders may garner support if they use the aid to improve their people’s lives, without enriching themselves or provoking war with Israel.
Actually, although this sounds good at first glance, the problems seem insurmountable. You have to push UNRWA, Hamas, and the Palestinian Authority out of the picture, find some honest and well-intentioned Palestinians who don’t want Israel eliminated put in charge, make sure they and their families don’t live in Palestine, make sure that Jew hatred isn’t taught, and that nobody interferes with the (overseas government). As Rosanne Rosanadanna would say, “Never mind.”
Or do you think this is possible?
Your theory that Gaza is governable is the “String Theory” of the Middle East!
And why should Israel have to be concerned with Gaza’s governability. They need to secure the borders (more that last October) and let the Palestinians know that any aggression on their part will be met similarly with an overwhelming response.
If Hamas, for instance, stays in power in Gaza, then Israel has a neighbor that has sworn to repeat the October 7 attacks over and over again. And they’ll keep stealing aid and building tunnels. THOSE, I think, are two good reasons for Israel to be concerned with who runs the terroitory to its south.
I’m assuming that Israel will eliminate Hamas as that is their main goal. I. Can’t it is not up to Israel to do nation building but keep the border secure with Gaza.
Unfortunately, there are no democratic role models in the Arab world. All are some flavor of autocracy, whether theocratic-based or outright dictatorships.
The best that could be hoped for is a Western-leaning benign dictatorship. The track record for those in that part of the world aren’t encouraging either, but it’s a shot.
There’s no such thing as a benign dictatorship and the only reason there aren’t any democratic countries in the Arab world is because the west, the Russians, and/or the Chinese feel threatened by them and make sure to stamp them out.
Sorry Mr. H., this is not correct. The “colonialist” flags went down before I was born (1971), and since then China, USA, even Russia with all its mendacious meddling, have been able to do anything to effect positive results there.
Despite two idiotic invasions even the might and power of the USA couldn’t imbue Iraq and Afghanistan democratic values and institutions. Let alone smaller players….
The Arab world’s lack of democracy is intricately related to ISLAM.
I suggest your next readings involve topics like: “Islam and democracy”.
respectfully,
D.A.
NYC
David, you beat me to it! I was about to say the fundamental problem is Islam and you are absolutely correct in that there will never be a solution to this situation as long as Islam remains and continues with its’ policies of “global caliphate” and death to the infidels especially the Jews.
It’s not going to work. (Hamas, or Son of Hamas, or whatever, will be way too powerful on the ground. De facto they will rule Gaza as soon as Israel withdraw.) I don’t have any better ideas. I’m glad it’s not me who has to figure out what to do.
Yes, Coel, yes. It is the assassin’s veto thing.
D.A.
NYC
While all ideas should stand or fall on their merits, it is difficult to ascribe sound judgment to a man who was a principal architect of our folly in Iraq.
Maybe ask someone like Rashid Khalidi who is definitely pro Palestinian but dislikes Hamas and the PA. He would need a lot of help to overcome the sectarian forces that always have undermined democracy and rule of law in the middle east.
Doesn’t seem possible but someone like him would know if it is and how to go about it.
Another thoughtful person who might have good ideas is Sari Nusseibeh.
I looked him up and found an article by him in The Financial Times October 14 2023. “Sari Nusseibeh: Our dream of a future for both people’s is the victim of this tragedy” Beautiful piece.
To David Anderson below, we need to smash Hamas and those who think like them to allow voices like Sari to flourish.
We can do both. I think they are actually complimentary aims.
Tough if at all possible.
How insane. Or… rather… wishful, magical thinking.
AGAIN.. this piece assumes that Pal society WANTS the kind of Jefferson democracy, sane government and wealth we THINK they want.
We think they want.
We think wrongly. All fucked up thinking.
Or rather.. it assumes the people and networks who run the Pals (in Gaza, WB AND in exile) now will step aside and say: “Well indeed, sir, that sounds like a better system…. that’ll have me bankrupted and me and my family lynched, but it is best for everybody.. let’s get to it! Peace now I say!”
It assumes there isn’t a *large* percentage of the population who isn’t entirely devoted to Koranic antisemitism, rabid Jew hatred and the utter destruction of Israel to blot out that blue and white Heeb stain from the clean green Islamic landscape. But there isn’t. The jihadis have ALL the guns. And they have the assassin’s veto over any sane compromise and have proved it at every. single. step.
Don’t they?
SHOW ME the Pals who have, over the decades, marched, worked, wished for peace AND COMPROMISE publicly. I’ll wait, I got time. (You can maybe find their unmark graves in Gaza/WB, of these traitors. Next to the graves of P.A. supporters in Gaza. And gays.)
The assassin’s veto within Pals, their education system of their kids, Islamic anti-semitism and the efforts of their exploitative “Arab brothers” negate any kind of compromise with the small percentage of Pals who actually want peace. I’m sure they exist, quietly, but I’ve not met one. They’ll never ever have any say or power.
The math of compromise doesn’t work in this context and WE can’t get our heads around it in the west for some reason. (Maybe b/c we’re secular – edicts of sky gods are dismissible to us, or maybe we have better access to information?)
Sometimes there are no compromises to be had – hard to imagine for all but the most religious of us, sometimes there are no “solutions.”
Just survival.
Onwards Israeli heroes.
D.A.
NYC
Well said. I was wondering if the touch of Islamic Jew hatred doesn’t permeate so deep and wide that it would be impossible to find some such few, who would then have to contend with the things you outline.
+100%
So much of the world already thinks the Israelis are colonialist oppressors, maybe Israel should just go with it. Come in, establish an Israeli dictatorship, and with an iron fist impose a Golden Age of productivity, prosperity, peace, and human flourishing. A hundred years of happiness and the Palestinians may gradually start losing their taste for blood and vengeance.
It’s one idea.
I long ago concluded that Gaza is ungovernable. Who would want to try? If the Arab states cared about their fellow Arabs, and they don’t, there is not enough will or force in the wider world to govern. Gaza has more in common with Haiti than anything else. It will be run by gangs. I hope I’m wrong, but looking at the last 50 years, I see little chance.
I fear that you are correct, Rick.
Yes, Rick and Jez. Haiti is a good comparison EXCEPT Hattians’ only motivation is survival. They get pissed at the neighboring (relatively rich) Dominicans but who isn’t bothered by their neighbors? I live in an apartment building! 🙂
Haitians aren’t – with full voice, volume and rage, yelling and exploding themselves to kill some imagined dzin, some devil with horns and a Star of David the Pals are, all, currently doing.
So Haiti with a murderous attitude next to a powerful, nuclear state.
That’s better.
D.A.
NYC
This sounds like the US nation-building the GW Bush administration engaged in that was a failure. This part of the world has not embraced the Enlightenment or self-government. The values fhis writer assumes will be beloved by the populace are western and secular. He thinks global capitalism with a big dollop of humanism and paternalism will enlighten the populace and solve this nightmare. He is fantasizing. Our current administration’s support of the PA is also wrong-headed. PA is utterly corrupt. I used to think “two state solution.” No more. They are very far from self rule that does not involve the destruction of Israel and terrorist engagement that could ignite WW3.
+1
YES Emily, again with you, Yes!
It’s possible in theory, but difficult in practice. First up is the question of who will step forward to govern, and how that person or group will garner enough initial credibility to inspire the trust of the Palestinian people. The same person or group will also need to have the trust of the international community, for it is the international community that will need to step up to fund the enterprise. And then, even if a new Palestinian governance can get off the ground, will that enterprise have enough stability for long enough to establish a new and durable order?
All of this is required even if we leave Israel out of the picture. Now let’s bring Israel into the picture. Generations of Palestinians have grown up hating Israel, and the current generation—thanks to UNRWA—will need (at a minimum) to age out in order to accept an Israel next door. With so many Palestinians having been brainwashed into believing that the destruction of Israel is their duty and their destiny, how long will it be before this new governing structure is taken over again by an entity that redirects the rebuilding of Gaza to the destruction of Israel?
Those, to me, are the risks. One needs a (1) trustworthy governing authority in place that (2) remains stable for long enough to (3) create a new Gazan entity that (4) is not waylaid by the radical elements in Gaza who will for a long time have a great deal of public support.
Excellent
No other Muslim nation wants anything to do with Gaza or Gazans; they will not take Gazan refugees and definitely will not take governing responsibility.
If Hamas is not acceptable, then Gazans cannot rule themselves because a defacto-Hamas kleptocracy is the only form of government that Gazans will freely accept.
Israel should not be forced to take responsibility for Gaza and Gazans for obvious reasons.
Any aid given to Gazans will be stolen and misused, as several decades of history has shown.
The Ottomans struggled with ruling this region for a very long time and their only solution was to de-populate the area, which is not an acceptable solution as no other nation will take the Gazans and no one should slaughter and starve the Gazans the way the Ottomans did.
More realistically, if Gazan governance is turned over to the Palestinians along with full statehood, they will turn it into Somalia.
There’s another threat to Israel looming on the horizon: Trump.
Today he’s saying that if he doesn’t win in November there will be “blood
in the streets.” Meaning that he will raise a rebellion and try to
overthrow the government. If he succeeds, one way or another,
in taking power, his racist regime will cut off all support to Israel
(in addition to letting Putin run rampant over eastern Europe).
You can’t possibly believe that.
Putin is already rampant. With regard to Putin, I think we have nothing to lose. The USA has stopped supporting Ukraine months ago.
This is the same kind of wishful thinking that we have heard so many times before – massive reconstruction efforts were going to create utopian versions of Afghanistan and Iraq. Sadly, it requires the Palestinian people to will the means of creating a peaceful and prosperous state and I’ll be long dead before they come around to that way of thinking. In the meantime, any Western-led attempt to impose a solution is doomed to failure.
And it’s one of the same persons who’s peddling it, Douglas Feith of Iraq war fame or rather, infamy.
My thoughts to a horror show called Palestine.
A fully independent administration with control over all funding from where ever it originated with clear objectives of housing, infrastructure, education, health, policing, etc. This has to be done with all stops pulled and no delay. Funding stops flowing if improprieties are detected.
When the Palestinians realize they have more to lose than gain by sheltering, promoting Hamas it will be by their collective will to choose otherwise By this time (hopefully) a majority would not tolerate a return to the corruption, intimidation, and violence of the past.
A slow transition over time to elected officials with the separation of religion and government with opposition parties encouraged, fostering freedom of speech and individual creativity, helping solve their problems on their own as a independent state.
The Palestinian’s future lie with it’s coming generations and that is all based on telling the truth. Understanding the misery, waste, loss, because the indoctrination of hate, ideology policies of Hamas was a failure of Palestine and it’s people.
It seems this sociological experiment has been executed before. Following the 2006 election you have a new regime taking control in Gaza with the then external support of Israel to govern. If this is to be re-run with a new regime then it would seem some conditions need to be imposed on Israel not to implement the same kind of undermining interventions of their political and development program.
Maybe some descriptions of the kinds of intervention from Israel which has undermined the civilian governance of Gaza and should not be repeated? The general character of things Israel should not engage in with this new government could be inferred from this.
I don’t understand this. We all see that the unfortunate development after 2006 took place because Israel withdrew from Gaza and stopped “intervening” and “undermining” Hamas’ industry of terror.
Since no-one can or has ever agreed to a solution for this interminable conflict, I have a solution as follows:
Here is my Modest Proposal that I wrote in November 2023. Since, I have incorporated some additions to the original proposal. In no way do I claim that my Proposal rivals Jonathan Swift’s “Modest Proposal” of 1729. Furthermore, my Proposal can only be accomplished with the absolute power and control of a Benevolent Dictator and I volunteer to be that person. I promise to be both benevolent and an altruistic dictator.—John
1. Destroy Hamas but do it much smarter and less destructive of Palestinians and Gaza then the Israelis are currently employing. Hamas may be militarily destroyed but will still exist along with other terrorist groups whose only aim is to destroy Israel which of course they will never do. Bibi is talking tough to protect his butt and satisfy his right wing crazy coalition He lives day by day to do that. He has no effective strategy for the “day after.”
2. Never trust the PLA again. Every leader of the PLA has been despicable, corrupt, and dangerous. Abbas has to resign, and the Devil only knows which corrupt “leader” will replace him.
3. Unfortunately, the death of innocent women and children in Gaza, and the total destruction of that territory will make bitter enemies of Jews and Israelis far greater than ever before. For every Palestinian killed by an Israeli bomb or bullet, 10 more terrorists will be recruited. Each one will have the single goal of killing as many Israelis Jews as possible and to “liberate” all of Israel as they insanely believe that the state of Israel should be extinguished, and that “Palestine” should be returned to its “rightful owners.” Of course, that will never happen given Israel’s military might, but that will be the goal of every Palestinian kid who watched his father, mother, grandparents, and siblings die from Israeli bombs and bullets.
4. The two state solution as currently proposed is a stupid pipe dream. A viable Palestinian nation can never exist with a two part Palestinian nation– Gaza and the West Bank, divided with their bitter enemy Israel in between.
5. Israel, the Arab states and the world should immediately construct a temporary “enclave” in the vast Sinai desert or the Negev desert, and the 2 million Gaza Palestinians will be moved there. Every person will be searched for weapons. The enclave will provide food, water, fuel, medical and hospital care, schools, and transportation within the enclave and funded by all countries of the world. An international military force will protect and secure the enclave. If Moses could march an entire Jewish nation around the Sinai desert for 40 years, the Gazans can certainly live in temporary housing with security for a year or two or three. Israel can then take care of any remaining Hamas terrorists inside Gaza, destroy all the tunnels, and if possible rescue any remaining hostages. The hostages must not be the first or second priority. Unfortunately and sadly, any remaining hostages will likely die. In 2011, the exchange of Gilad Shalit for 1000+ Palestinian prisoners, including many leaders, terrorists, and murderers was one of the worst mistakes in Israeli history. Israel should never repeat that grievous error.
6. When the war “ends,” and Gaza is a wasteland, the “day after” will have these provisions and rules: A) Israel will never disappear. B) The right of return will never happen. C) A single Palestinian State will be formed. D) A totally destroyed and flattened Gaza will be ceded to the Israelis. E) The 500,000 Israeli settlers will be immediately removed from the West Bank and will be given the option of returning to Israel, or preferably move to Gaza and with the help of the countries of the world, rebuild the strip. F) The new Palestinian State will be the undivided West Bank as originally intended in 1948. G) To compensate the Palestinians for the loss of Gaza, Jordan will voluntarily give up some of its land east of the Jordan River and will be compensated by the nations of the world. H) The new Palestinian State will have land on both sides of the Jordan River, and the river will be controlled by the United Nations or some other entity. I) Until the Palestinians can demonstrate they can effectively and peacefully govern themselves, an international entity will be formed to govern the nation. The Palestine nation must be demilitarized much like Germany and Japan after WWII. J) The 2+ million Gazan Palestinians in the temporary enclave in the Sinai or Negev will move to the new Palestinian State in the West Bank. J) The Palestinian State shall be a democracy and never a theocracy. K) The countries of the world and mostly the Arab nations should step up and provide the basic services needed by any successful country, such as supervised free elections, public health, healthcare, education, etc. and a durable and safe law abiding environment. L) A designated terrorist group shall never be allowed to govern or gain power in the Palestinian state. M) This whole process may take decades to accomplish.
7. Most importantly, Israel should never be part of the governing entity or law enforcement in the Palestinian State. Israel shall be guaranteed safe borders by the United Nations or other multinational military authority, and by its own military might. A buffer zone will exist between Israel and the Palestinian State. All terrorists Palestinian, Israeli or others when captured will be tried in the International Court of Justice in the Hague, Netherlands.
8. When all of the above is accomplished, I will relinquish my benevolent dictatorship, but only after I finish the job of eliminating Hezbollah, the Iranian Islamic Republic, and any of her proxies in the Middle East.
9. If all of the above fails, the United States should offer Alabama, Mississippi, or both as a Palestinian State. Much like the London Bridge was moved brick by brick to Lake Havasu City, AZ, the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the temple mount will be moved to the new Palestinian State for “eternity.” The Alabama and Mississippi citizens can choose to stay or will be absorbed in the adjoining states.
If even this should fail, “pray” for another asteroid much larger than that which destroyed the dinosaurs 66 million years ago, eliminate all life on our pale blue dot called planet earth, and start all over again hoping for a much better result than the first attempt—but only if all religion(s) and belief in any supernatural power(s) will be absolutely prohibited from ever existing again.
It is unlikely but possible to set up something like that. The alternatives are the extermination of the current populations of Palestinian territories since no Arab country is considering allowing them to escape to it — or maybe simply degrading the ability of the terror groups to conduct attacks while leaving them in control of the “occupied” territories would actually be good for Israeli society as whatever attacks the terrorist groups could manage to carry out would keep Israel on its toes constantly innovating on military and more productive technologies while the countries run by theocracies continue to fall further behind and suffer more isolation on the world stage. If your only goal in life is to die a martyr, you’re much less likely to learn any useful skills or to innovate in any way.