Right now, illegal settlers – with vigorous dreams of Israeli expansion on both the Gaza strip and in several other countries in the Middle East – must cozy on the occupied hills that look over the West Bank. Never have they had a stronger support for their dreams in the White House. Dreams that are classified as illusions, occupation and even crazy.
But after Donald Trump’s and Benjamin Netanyah’s press conference, illusions seem to have suddenly become possible.
In short, Trump says he wants all of Gazabor to be moved to fleet refugee camps in other countries, that the United States will take over Gaza and build up a kind of Rivieral -like area where people from the region can work. Netanyahu stands the side and praises Trump for the power of action.
Their friendship is known since Trump’s last period in the White House. Then he moved the US Embassy to Jerusalem and approved the annexation of the Golan Heights that Israel took from Syria.
Nobody mentions
None of the gentlemen mentions that Gaza is home to millions of Palestinians who do not want to leave the destroyed area at all. The two friends also do not mention what status the Gazabs would get in the camps? Refugee status, temporarily or should they become citizens of the country in question? Or stateless who are still hundreds of thousands of Palestinians since Nakban in 1948?
Not to mention neighboring countries that do not want to receive several million Palestinians at all. Not just because the countries are financially fragile, but above all because they are not ready to give up the idea of a Palestinian state.
Donald Trump seems sure he can persuade Egypt, Jordan and even Saudi Arabia to agree to this. Although they clearly said no.
Next week, the earthly king will visit the White House and then a huge charm offensive will probably start. And let’s speculate that any leader in the region can be dazzled by promises of money. But how should they wrestle with millions of people’s anger in their own nation? For that anger no money is enough.
We have to talk about the risk of big war
If the world was messy before the press conference, it risks being incomprehensibly messy after. There is neither a beginning nor an end to this idea presented at the press conference. Again, we must start talking about the risk of major war.
In the short term, it can also affect the ongoing ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, whose phase 2 will start to be discussed now. Will Hamas continue the dialogue, or even hand over the remaining hostage during phase 1? Hamas support is likely to grow as quickly as the press conference was going on.
Neither Trump nor Netanyahu can be taken verbatim. The play can be a strategy for provoking negotiations on different levels. But rarely has two men’s words been so close to lighting a fire in an entire region.