Israeli arrogance will not stop in Gaza or the West Bank. Because it is the strongest, because it is supported by the strongest, it can act as it sees fit throughout the Region. It can bomb Syria and Lebanon, occupy parts of their territories, and dictate their behavior. Is Israel still interested in normalization with the Arab countries? And to what extent? It is clear that it will make no concessions, including to Saudi Arabia, to achieve this.
By Anthony SAMRANI
Without batting an eye, he spoke. It did not come from the mouth of Bezalel Smotrich or Itamar Ben-Gvir, who do not officially represent Benjamin Netanyahu’s line. But from that of Defense Minister Israel Katz, a prominent member of his government and the Likud party. Before him, no Israeli official had gone so far with regard to Gaza. There were threats to destroy it, to depopulate it, to occupy it – which was done – but never to annex it. The last taboo has fallen: Gaza will be Israeli or it will not exist. The minister is quick to point out that this is a tactic to force Hamas to release the 60 hostages still being held as of October 7, 2023.
Maybe he’s sincere. Maybe Israel won’t annex Gaza. Maybe it considers it’s not worth it and that other approaches might yield equivalent results.
But there is no longer any doubt about Benjamin Netanyahu’s plans. At the end of this war, even if Hamas is completely defeated, even if the enclave is completely demilitarized, even if the Egyptian and Israeli blockades are maintained, Gaza will be under the direct or indirect authority of Israel. Or it will be emptied of its population. Since Benjamin Netanyahu has no borders, everything will depend on Donald Trump and the Arab countries. The ability/willingness of the former to defeat the wings of his allies to accept the survivors or the ability/willingness of the former to propose an alternative plan acceptable to Israel.
The only thing that matters here is the balance of power. As the months go by, it becomes harder to write about Gaza. We are doomed to perpetual indignation. To decipher, analyze and comment on Trump’s plan to transform the enclave into a “second Riviera” or that of the American-Israeli duo to “relocate” Gazans to East Africa.
All of this is part of the same logic. It is also for this very reason at work in the West Bank, where settlers and the military, with American approval, are imposing a new reality on the ground in order to prepare for future annexation. For decades, Israel has sought to politically erase the Palestinians. Now it wants to do it literally. To cleanse the territory of this people who dispute its divine right to dominate every corner of this land. With American approval, it can finally achieve its goals. And Israeli arrogance will not stop in Gaza or the West Bank. Because it is the strongest, because it is supported by the strongest, it can act as it sees fit throughout the Region.
It can bomb Syria and Lebanon, occupy parts of their territories, and dictate their behavior. Is Israel still interested in normalization with Arab countries? And to what extent? It is clear that it will make no concessions, including to Saudi Arabia, to achieve this.
Just as it is clear that the most important thing for him is to set the final points on the Palestinian issue and render harmless all his neighbors by force and not by will.
It is customary, at this point in the editorial, to look for opportunities for action that could change the trend. To call on Europeans and Arab countries to unite and act, at least for their own interests, because this will end up backfiring on themselves. Especially since if it is not them, there will be no one else. But this time we will do without him. Even wishful thinking seems superfluous.
