Good morning.
Not a good day, but at least coffee is good.
So we have a “Day After” scenario.
It comes from Netanyahu’s government.
And it’s, of course, a shitshow. Yeah.
Drink your coffee. Walk with me.
Here are the steps, as proposed by Netanyahu.
“Freedom of Activity by the IDF within the Gaza Strip. / The Complete Disarmament and Demobilization of the Gaza Strip. / Total Security Control by Israel over the West Bank. / Partial/Total Closure of the Border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt. / Establishment of a Security Zone between Southern Israel and the Gaza Strip. / Creation of a De-Radicalization Program which will be implemented in all Palestinian Institutions.”
Plus…
“Removal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from the Palestinian Territories. / The Rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip once Demilitarization is Complete and De-Radicalization has begun, with Funding only coming from Israeli-Approved Countries and Organizations.”
So let’s dive into it.
“Freedom of Activity by the IDF within the Gaza Strip.” - This is a reasonable expectation, one that proved essential in Germany, after WW2. The devil, as always, is in the details. And there are no details. For all we know, this means a de facto occupation of the Gaza Strip, something the allies did not do in Germany, post 1945. And please spare me the “not occupied territory” spiel, since you can’t erase Palestine from the map, just as you can’t erase Israel.
“The Complete Disarmament and Demobilization of the Gaza Strip.” - Totally fair, and totally expected. There is no way the Palestinians should be allowed anything remotely resembling armed forces for a long while, after 10/7. First, they must prove they wish to co-exist with Israel. Nothing to see here, perfectly normal expectation. At the most, Palestinian law enforcement should be allowed, under REAL international supervision. That’s the catch.
“Total Security Control by Israel over the West Bank.” - Exactly the same as point one, only referring to the West Bank. Translation: Israel will expand the settlements in the West Bank, only with heavy military presence. Again, a de facto occupation of Palestinian territory, going against the allies approach to their presence in Germany, after WW2. Once more, it’s the drive towards an Israeli one state solution, not an implementation of the two state solution. This is bad.
“Partial/Total Closure of the Border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt.” - Which can only be achieved by Israeli armed forces, on the ground, in Gaza soil. This will not happen with Egypt’s cooperation, thus meaning Israel would have to de facto occupy the Gaza Strip portion of its southern border. There is no sugar coating this. The only way you can say this is not an occupation, is if you believe Gaza is Israel. Do you, now? Then there’s no argument to be had.
Enjoy your one state.
“Establishment of a Security Zone between Southern Israel and the Gaza Strip.” - Legitimate expectation, especially after 10/7. But where will this buffer zone be established? Inside or outside Gaza Strip’s borders? You guessed it. Inside. Once again, this is the fascist Netanyahu’s government wet dream: to establish the conditions on the ground to effectively push the Palestinians out of Gaza, in time. And, of course, to transform the Gaza Strip into an Israeli controlled territory.
“Creation of a De-Radicalization Program which will be implemented in all Palestinian Institutions.” - Also a legitimate expectation. Especially in what relates to education. The whole Palestinian education system needs an overhaul, no doubt, but it needs to be implemented through programs monitored by international institutions, with a strong Israeli participation. Here we have a problem, read “Useless UN”. Maybe the EU can step up and make a difference here.
“Removal of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency from the Palestinian Territories.” - Hell to the yeah! The UNRWA is practically a branch of Hamas. It needs to go. However, it needs a replacement. Again, Europe should step up to the plate and create a credible and effective substitute. The removal of the UNRWA is easy, and necessary. It’s their replacement that constitutes a problem. One that badly needs solving, as fast as possible.
“The Rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip once Demilitarization is Complete and De-Radicalization has begun, with Funding only coming from Israeli-Approved Countries and Organizations.” - Seems a reasonable goal, but considering the overall aspects of this design, not an achievable one. In fact, it looks like someone in Netanyahu’s gang thought it would be nice to end the proposal with a “Marshal Plan” kind of reference. It’s anything but, as you gather from the previous points.
So what does this mean?
And what else would Netanyahu propose? The aim of these steps is not to help establish a free Palestinian state. It's to “legally" ensure it never exists. After WW2, the allies kept troops in Germany, but they allowed it to choose its own path from the get go, with the obvious exception of Nazism, which the Germans themselves outlawed. The same needs to happen in Palestine. And Netanyahu will never allow that. Hamas is his pet project, remember?
Israel needs to get someone else in charge of her government. I know this is not what people want to hear, but the truth is, Netanyahu's goal is an Israeli one state. Nothing else will do, for him and others like him. He needs to go.
Until that happens, and that will not happen while war rages on, nothing will change, and there is no “Day After.” Not really. And have you noticed there is no reference to the hostages? Clearly, they are not a day after consideration.
I try to remain hopeful for the fate of the hostages left in Gaza, but it’s more and more obvious that Netanyahu has moved on from them. They are now closer to being collateral damage as they ever were. And it’s both sad and infuriating. I feel for their families, as it becomes clear they were always an after thought in Netanyahu’s strategy, from day one.
God help us, Threaders, Threadheads, and all in between. God help us all…
