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America Is Misreading the Situation in the West Bank and Gaza
Prof. Eytan Gilboa interviewed by Israel Kasnett - Eytan Gilboa, an expert on U.S. policy in the Middle East at Bar-Ilan University, said the Biden administration believes that Sheikh Jarrah and Israeli police action on the Temple Mount triggered the attacks by Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad in Gaza. "They are wrong," he said. "Hamas' goal is to take over the West Bank and turn it into Gaza. Playing up the Sheikh Jarrah issue means playing right into Hamas' hands." The problem, Gilboa says, is that America thinks economic prosperity will reduce the Palestinian appetite for violence, "but Hamas doesn't care." Moreover, U.S. plans to inject huge sums of cash into the PA's coffers will only further deepen its systemic corruption, and increase violence and incitement against Israelis. According to Gilboa, while Biden has said he favors a two-state solution, it won't happen until the Palestinians recognize Israel as a Jewish state. "This is critical because it has been the No. 1 obstacle on the road to peace. The U.S. still thinks the settlements are the major obstacle, and they've always been wrong about that."