I would like to propose a plan for governance of Gaza after the war, whose central feature is a 25-year process of redevelopment, culminating in Palestinian autonomy in 2048 if all conditions are met.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolvable. A growing number of Arab states have recognized that Israel is here to stay and that partnerships with Israel benefit all of the people of the region.
The Palestinian people have missed the opportunity to participate in this process because they are dominated by terrorist groups in Gaza, and by a corrupt administration in the West Bank.
The fact that so much money is devoted to terrorism rather than economic development, and that schools and media indoctrinate children to hate Israel and Jews, perpetuates the conflict.
Calls for a ceasefire in the present conflict that leave Hamas in power in Gaza condemn both Palestinians and Israelis to future wars, as happened in all prior ceasefires, broken by Hamas.
Just as Germany could not live in peace with its neighbors until the Nazi Party was completely defeated and the country demilitarized, Hamas must be defeated and Gaza must be disarmed.
Likewise, just as the Allies occupied the Axis powers in order to rebuild them, Gaza must be rebuilt under supervision, until a full generation has emerged, ready to live, and grow, in peace.
The war must be fought to its conclusion, with increased attention on the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza. A peace plan is needed that looks at the bigger picture and the future.
Three Points
25-year supervision: The Israel Defense Forces will control the administration of Gaza, including security, economic development, and education, for a 25-year period, until 2048. The United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) will be removed in favor of a new development agency, administered by countries within the framework of the Abraham Accords.
Replacing the Palestinian Authority: The leadership of the Palestinian Authority will receive a one-time offer to retire. The remainder of the Palestinian civil service will be reorganized in a Provisional Palestinian Government, which will have municipal authority and ordinary policing responsibilities, but which will cede control of legislation, education, and media for 25 years.
Negotiating forum: A new council will be created, with equivalent numbers of representatives from both sides, to handle negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians about the final shape of borders, the settlement of the Palestinian refugee issue, the question of statehood; water and environmental management; and the appropriate site for a future Palestinian capital.
The goal is a free, demilitarized, prosperous Palestinian entity, if the above conditions are met.
External interference
Stopping Iran: All financial inflows from Iran to the West Bank and Gaza must be stopped. The Iranian proxies in Gaza and the West Bank — including Islamic Jihad — must be destroyed. The United Nations must force Iran to comply with UN Security Council resolution 1701 and move all Hezbollah forces north of the Litani River and stop attacking Israel from Lebanon.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.