The Clueless and the Evil
by Jonathan Kuttab
This week, as I watched the press conference with President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu, I was tempted to slip into total denial. At one level, the proposal to take over the Gaza Strip (by American troops), to “own” and transform it into “the Riviera of the Middle East” while sending its hapless residents to an unknown “better place,” was so bizarre and unrealistic on so many levels that I could not help believing it was mere talk. Akin to the notion of turning Canada into the 51st state, how could it be taken seriously?
Trump’s proposal is a blatant call for ethnic cleansing, a severe war crime. No credible expert, pundit, or analyst thinks it can be implemented. Furthermore, no country exists that would be willing to take in the Gazan residents, nor were they or their leaders consulted in any way, shape, or form. The resistance in Gaza, which for 15 months has withstood massive bombardment and ongoing siege, still showed up to parade its strength before the world, together with its new recruits in full uniform carrying weapons. After the ceasefire, they will surely continue the struggle—this time fighting US soldiers and “contractors,” rather than Israeli soldiers.
No basis in international law exists that would allow for the US to take over this land, in a manner reminiscent of the type of colonialist imperialism officially declared illegal decades ago. There is no basis in law, morality, or logic for such an action. No clear thought process is evident. It seems the wrecking-ball method of Trump policy that is destroying US institutions is now being used in Gaza as well. Trump seems to be clueless as to the realities of the Middle East. He sees a pile of rubble as a construction site near the Mediterranean and dreams of an opportunity to build a resort (with plentiful Arab money).
However, next to this clueless President stood the smug, smirking Netanyahu: the direct instrument of Gaza’s destruction. It is doubtful that even he thinks there is any possibility that this plan could be implemented. Yet, he is pleased that a US president openly stating such a plan would appeal to the fantasies of his extreme right-wing coalition—keeping his government intact, saving his political career, and allowing him to present a “Day After” scenario that he has been reluctant to verbalize.
It is no secret that from the very beginning one of the guiding principles of Zionism has been its need to build a Jewish state by “spiriting away” Palestine’s Arab population, of taking the land but not its peoples. That dream of a “land without people” has been at the root of Zionism from its inception. While reality on the ground has prevented this from being fully implemented, it has continued to reside in the consciousness of all Israeli politicians, who moved from pretending “there are no Palestinians,” to “there is no partner for peace or anyone to negotiate with,” to the gross euphemism of “voluntary transfer.” It is this desire that seems to fuel all Israeli policies. The need to eliminate the “refugee problem” lies at the root of Israel’s hostility to UNRWA, as well as its current policy of destroying the refugee camps in Jenin and the rest of the West Bank. Most Israeli officials are reluctant to openly profess this as their true goal, because it is so obviously immoral and illegal. So it was with astonishment and glee that Netanyahu heard the words of Trump as he gave legitimacy to the fantasy of removing almost two million Palestinians from Gaza, without any claim or expectation of a right to return once the rebuilding is complete.
The pretense that this transfer is being done “for the benefit of Palestinians,” to provide for them “a better life” than the miserable existence they have now, is truly evil. It allows for a thin humanitarian façade to hide the genocidal desire to get rid of the Palestinians. Trump did not suddenly stumble upon a group of hapless Palestinians living in misery, which he hoped to alleviate. He was hosting the very criminal responsible for bringing about this misery and destruction, accomplished with American weapons, while essentially promising to give him what he desired most: a land free of Palestinians. Whatever Trump had in mind in his strange proposal only reinforced the fantasy about which many right wingers in Israel still dream: getting rid of Palestinians by removing them from the land.
Apologists for Trump claim that he was merely thinking “outside of the box” and attempting to shake up a deadlocked situation: that he recognized that the situation as untenable, that traditional thinking could not provide a solution, and that by presenting a clearly outlandish scenario he was not being clueless but radically challenging one and all to come up with new and creative solutions.
There may be something to this idea. New and bold thinking is indeed necessary. The old paradigms have failed; the Two-State Solution is long dead; the Occupation can no longer be held up as a temporary, interim solution; and the finding of a Palestinian leadership that accepts Jewish domination as a permanent state of affairs has failed. It may be time to shake up the entire region and seek new solutions: two-states, one state, a federated state, or even a new and different political configuration of the entire area. So, bold and innovative solutions are indeed called for. Yet any new solution must address the requirements of justice. It must address the needs of all the people in the area and not just the fantasies of the powerful side to achieve total victory and be rid of its enemies permanently.
Whatever the contours of such a solution, it must contain within it the following elements:
It must result in a genuine peace, based on cooperation and coexistence. It cannot be based solely on military might and coercion, requiring continuing military investment and carrying with it the seeds of future conflict.
It must recognize the humanity of all those involved, guaranteeing Palestinians their right to self determination and participation in the ruling of their own lives.
It must adhere to the requirements of justice and fairness, which may include the Right of Return and reparations.
It must seek to heal the traumas of all involved, not use the historical trauma of one people to deny the rights, humanity, and traumas of another.
Clearly, Trump’s Riviera plan for Gaza meets none of the above criteria; it must be denounced and resisted.