|
Trending Topics
|
Source: https://www.jns.org/hamas-not-israel-is-bound-to-blow-up-trumps-plan/
Will Hamas Blow Up Trump's Gaza Peace Plan?
(JNS) Jonathan S. Tobin - President Trump and his foreign-policy team deserve enormous credit for brokering a ceasefire that achieved the release of the final 20 living hostages held by Hamas. Yet much of what the administration is saying about implementing and maintaining the ceasefire is rooted in mistaken notions about the nature of the conflict and fantasies about things that are highly unlikely ever to occur. Even Trump seems to have swallowed the Kool-Aid about Qatar's being a good friend of the U.S. and a tireless worker for peace. That's in spite of the fact that the Gulf emirate is largely responsible for enabling Hamas to start the war and also spreading Islamist propaganda via its Al Jazeera media outlet and by sponsoring and funding the Muslim Brotherhood. Even more disturbing is the way the U.S. team speaks of Hamas's disarmament being accomplished via an international security force made up of contingents from various Muslim and Arab countries. Such a force being able or willing to take on Hamas is a fantasy. Arab governments may dislike Hamas and wish to be rid of it, but the chances that any of them would actually take on that job themselves are zero. The same is true of any belief that a renewed flow of billions in foreign aid into Gaza will not be misused. Too many of those who work for the president seem invested in fantasies about Hamas, the Palestinians, Qatar and Turkey, rooted in naive beliefs about genocidal Islamists having the same hopes and dreams as Americans, Israelis and the people of the West. They don't. And, sooner or later, that dismal fact is going to blow up the peace plan. When this happens, we need to hope that Trump and his foreign-policy team are able to divest themselves of the same foolish arrogance that characterized the beliefs of their predecessors about the Palestinians wanting peace and being willing to give up their century-old war on the Jews. Even an indomitable force like Donald Trump can't wish away the Palestinian desire to destroy Israel.