12/11/2023–|Last updated: 11/12/202306:39 PM (Mecca time)
In an article in Haaretz newspaper, an Israeli analyst called for exploiting the stifling human tragedy he is experiencing Gaza strip To achieve strategic political gains for Israel.
Ze’evi Barel said that this crisis gives Israel diplomatic influence that allows it to obtain concessions from Egypt, and the ability to curb the American “impulse” toward… The two-state solution.
He stressed that the humanitarian crisis is part of an arsenal at Israel’s disposal that can be used not only as a bargaining chip in negotiations over the release of hostages, but also to instill in the Palestinian consciousness the “horrific punishment” that will face anyone who dares from now on to challenge Israel.
Exploiting crises
He continued that this perception is a continuation of the deep-rooted strategic concept that believes that human suffering can lead to security gains for Israel, a concept that considers the siege of Gaza an “indispensable reality.”
It does not matter if the siege of Gaza has continued for 17 years without preventing attacks on Israel and military operations against the Gaza Strip, and without preventing the current war from occurring, as Barel put it, who added that one can assume “with some degree of confidence” that Even if a movement is uprooted “agitation”Israel “will not abandon its siege of Gaza, and even if it does not provide security, it will provide oversight of Gaza.”
More importantly, the humanitarian crisis in Gaza gives Israel diplomatic leverage that allows it to obtain concessions from Egypt – such as future control of the Rafah border crossing even after the war – or repairing relations with Jordan in exchange for easing the situation in Gaza, which reduces internal pressure on the Jordanian regime. , according to Haaretz.
Curb the two-state solution
The report continues that exploiting the humanitarian crisis will enable us to curb the American push towards reaching a two-state solution. Here too, we can “imitate the Syrian model.”
The article stated that the United States had distanced itself from any commitment to a diplomatic solution in Syria, even though it participated in drafting United Nations resolutions that laid the foundation for future arrangements in that Arab country. In return, it has since focused on fighting ISIS.
He added that the US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken He recently identified the elements of Washington’s plan for the period following the war between Israel and Hamas, including not forcibly displacing Palestinians from Gaza, and not using Gaza as a platform for terrorism or other violent attacks, as he claimed.
According to Bar’el, the American plan does not include demands to reduce the scale of military operations at the present time, but there is an insistence on setting limits on the amount of humanitarian harm allowed to be inflicted on civilians, which are limits that Israel has completely violated, as the Israeli writer himself confirms.
Bar’el criticized the elements of the American plan, saying that Blinken could announce “to the extent that he feels satisfied” that there will be no displacement of Gaza’s residents during or after the war, but displacement is already happening.
Scheme rejected
But he came back to say that Israel must work on the positive elements in the plan to reach a sustainable peace.
Then comes the American prescription, according to which these steps must include a Palestinian-led government and the unification of Gaza with the West Bank under the administration of the Palestinian National Authority, which Barel criticized, saying that this proposal completely contradicts the announcement of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which stipulates that Israel will retain control. Complete security over Gaza for an unlimited period.
It is true that Blinken’s plan – according to Bar’el – does not include a timetable for implementation or details regarding the mechanism that will allow negotiations on the plan to be held, nor even a practical explanation of who will be tasked with rehabilitating the Gaza Strip, but it represents a “firm” American policy that requires Israel to stand up to it.