We need a broad emergency government now
While the United States coalition against Iran, constituted by Western countries and moderate Arab states is worthy of praise, for the US, the fear of a nuclear Iran trumps the fear of a Hamas-controlled Palestine. Therefore, while siding with Israel, the Biden administration is attempting to restart talks on the establishment of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, is ready and waiting for normalization with Israel, eager for a handshake and a promise from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Israel will consider talks about the Palestinian issue.
However, Hamas has not changed its Weltanschauung, nor is it likely to. The establishment of a Palestinian state as part of a two-state solution will not fulfill the desire for a Palestinian state “from the river to the sea,” namely on the ruins of the State of Israel.
The American House of Representatives acted positively last week, approving, by a large majority, a resolution proposing that the call, “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” be defined as antisemitic. One of the initiators of the resolution, Jewish Congressman Josh Gottheimer from New Jersey, said that the resolution reflects Congress’s duty to condemn “derogatory calls and parties that cause dehumanization.”
For decades, the world has dealt with Islamic terrorism. This monstrous ideology will not change as long as the establishment of an alternative governing body in Gaza is delayed.
ISRAEL HAS paid dearly for misjudging the Hamas terror organization, an error in judgment that will not be repeated. The Jewish state cannot agree to Hamas being involved in controlling the Gaza Strip the “day after.”
The US, Israel, and their Western allies must promote the establishment of a new body with the participation of moderate Palestinian technocrats, as well as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), dedicated to the rehabilitation of Gaza and its control after the war.
With all the respect and appreciation due to the US for the assistance it provides us, we must find a way to enlighten our great ally: The establishment of a Palestinian state ruled over by Hamas is not an option that is acceptable to the majority of Israelis. Hamas had the opportunity to establish a prosperous and flourishing state in Gaza but instead chose to invest the billions it received in establishing a terrorist entity designed to destroy the State of Israel.
The Iranian attack, which failed miserably, had actually provided Israel with the legitimacy to retaliate while it was ongoing and not only a few days later, as it did. According to foreign media publications, Israel was behind the attack on the Iranian military facilities that surround the nuclear base in Natanz last week.
Israel’s plan to enter Rafah and evacuate non-involved Gazans to the North of the Strip will not be easy, mainly because of President Joe Biden’s badly timed opposition to such a move at this stage. If we give in to pressure to stop the war, we will never be able to bring back our hostages, who are living in hell. Now is the time to query how “only military pressure on Hamas will advance a deal for the hostages” fits in, when, clearly, most of our army has withdrawn from Gaza and fighting is at a low intensity.
The Mida website (an initiative of the civic freedom and responsibility non-profit El Haprat: Herut Ve’ahrayut Ezrahit) published a document stating that Hamas is already restoring its governmental capabilities in the Gaza Strip and acting as sovereign on the ground. If this is correct, it would appear that, despite its impressive achievements, the IDF has not succeeded in completely dismantling Hamas’s governmental and military capabilities. Hamas, meanwhile, is suppressing other elements in the Strip that threaten its rule. An armed conflict broke out between Hamas and members of the Da’mesh clan attempting to take control of aid entering northern Gaza.
Anti-Hamas demonstrations in Khan Yunis have dried up. The Bani Suhila municipality has begun opening traffic lanes and recently published an update for the first time since November 2023.
Meanwhile, there are no recent IDF reports on significant setbacks caused to Hamas government operatives. Time will tell if this is a tactical ruse meant to help return the hostages; or if the IDF will be satisfied with what it has achieved, even if not all of its aims are met.
Israel is undergoing the most difficult period since its establishment and the decisions that must be made in the government are fateful. It is thus imperative, at this time, to reach an agreement on the establishment of a national emergency government, with the participation of all Zionist factions.
Someone said that “the destruction of countries begins with disintegration from the inside.” Our enemies well understand this concept. It is our duty, therefore to show that we know how to unite in times of trouble – and manage the crisis as one.