The fighting in Gaza is not ceasing: a post-war scenario is still being negotiated in the background. Israel could make common cause with Arab states.
There has been war between Israel and the terrorist Hamas in the Gaza Strip for more than six months. More than 30,000 people are now said to have died. Since the October 7 massacre, numerous Israeli hostages are still in the clutches of Hamas. And yet plans for the time after the war are apparently being made behind the scenes.
As the US newspaper “New York Times” reports, Israeli officials are said to have developed a plan for Gaza. As a result, Israel could administer the Gaza Strip together with a coalition of Arab states, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The USA should also be involved as a mediator.
Normalized relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia
However, according to the report, the extensive involvement of Arab countries in the administration of the Gaza Strip would only take place in return for normalized relations with Israel. Under the plan, the Israeli-Arab coalition would install a joint leadership in Gaza that would rebuild the area.
This de facto government would also establish a new education system in the Gaza Strip and ensure public order. After seven to ten years, the population of Gaza should then vote on their own future and, if necessary, be governed by the Palestinian Authority. The Israeli military would continue to operate in Gaza until the vote.
However, it is questionable whether such a plan can ever be implemented. Both right-wing populist members of Netanyahu’s government and the Arab countries mentioned would probably not agree to such a scenario.
Opposite perspectives, common problems
As the New York Times reports, Arab officials consider the plan unworkable because it does not provide an explicit scenario for a sovereign Palestinian take-off. However, this is a fundamental prerequisite for Arab participation in post-war plans for Gaza. The possibility of further military operations in the Gaza Strip by the Israeli army is also unacceptable for the Arab states.
2024-05-03 20:25:08.269 – 1714767908269
Such a plan would also be a balancing act for Netanyahu – due to opposing points of view. The plan does not explicitly exclude Palestinian sovereignty; The idea of Palestinian sovereignty is particularly unreasonable for right-wing populist members of his cabinet.
Netanyahu could try to save his political legacy
So far, Netanyahu has – at least officially – ruled out any form of Palestinian sovereignty or statehood. According to the New York Times, Netanyahu’s government could collapse if he officially recognized the plans. The majority of the Israeli population is also against a Palestinian state because it would reward Hamas’ atrocities.
However, Netanyahu could keep this option open in order to strengthen Israel’s strategic relations with Arab countries. At the same time, Netanyahu could restore his political legacy after it was tarnished by the Hamas massacre.
