(National Interest) Dr. Raphael BenLevi - Since the beginning of Israel's war with Hamas, some prominent figures in the U.S. have raised the idea of installing the Palestinian Authority (PA) as the governing body in Gaza for civilian affairs. However, such a course of action would inevitably result within a few years in the emergence of a new terrorist state hostile to Israel, possibly even under the control of a re-emerged Hamas. The most feasible alternative is an autonomous Arab civilian entity in Gaza, with Israel maintaining overall security responsibility for as long as required by the security situation and threat assessment. In Gaza today lives an entire generation that has been indoctrinated into Hamas' genocidal ideology. The only way to create a political entity in Gaza that is not hostile to Israel will be for the public to undergo a deradicalization process, similar to the de-Nazification process carried out in postwar Germany, during which civil society underwent a profound transformation. Transferring power to the PA would guarantee the re-emergence of a terrorist state. The PA is itself already a political entity hostile to Israel's existence. The PA is perceived by the public over which it rules as a deeply corrupt institution. According to a June 2023 Palestinian poll, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would defeat PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas by a large margin. Moreover, there is no reason to believe that a PA-led government in Gaza will educate for peace and promote coexistence with Israel. Even today, the PA educates for hatred and hostility toward "the Zionist entity." The writer is a fellow at the Misgav Institute for Zionist Strategy in Jerusalem and a reserve officer in the IDF intelligence branch.
2023-11-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive