Israelis, Palestinians, and Double Standards
Yesterday the Wall Street Journal published an op-ed titled “If Indians and Pakistanis Can Relocate, Why Can’t Gazans?” in it Sadanand Dhume argues on behalf of President Trump’s plan to relocate roughly two million Palestinians. The crux of his argument is that population transfers are not new and they work. He cites examples such as the Greco-Turkish war following WWI and most notably the infamous partition of India and Pakistan. While he acknowledges the difficulty of Trump’s scheme his rationale is applied selectively. Many critics were quick to point out that if the roles were reversed, its unlikely that the WSJ or other major media outlets would give voice to the argument.
Making Sense of Trump’s Gaza Plan
On Tuesday evening, President Trump announced that the U.S. would take ownership of and rebuild Gaza while relocating the enclaves roughly 2.3 million inhabitants elsewhere. Previously the president had floated the idea of relocating Gazans to Egypt and Jordan to which Arab governments have flatly rejected. Trump’s announcement prompted a flurry of praise, criticism, and questions including: Was he serious?, Is this feasible?, What is the price tag? Who will live in Gaza after reconstruction?
The Settlers and the Ceasefire
Today there are more than half a million Israelis living in illegal settlements built on Palestinian land. Most of these Israelis were drawn to the settlements by cheap home prices, but a significant number are vocal ideologues motivated by the concept of “Eretz Israel” or Greater Israel. When using the term settler in this post, I’m referring to this latter group. The settlers advocate for the expansion of Israel’s borders including the annexation of the West Bank, which many Israeli Jews refer to as “Judea and Samaria”, and since 7 OCT 2023 the reoccupation of Gaza. Since the 1970s, the settlers have been an influential constituency in Israel and have consistently demonstrated their ability to influence Israeli elections and policy. Over the next six weeks, the settlers will likely seek to undermine the current ceasefire and any attempt to extend the agreement to phases two or three.
A Fragile Truce
The news of a potential cease-fire and hostage release is long overdue and should be celebrated as good news. The Israeli hostages and civilians in Gaza have endured almost incalculable suffering over the past fourteen months and it is criminal that it has taken this long to come to any sort of resolution. However, before we carried away in celebrations, we should be wary of what comes next. The next four days will provide ample opportunity for this deal to unravel and there are definitely those who will seek to undermine it in hopes of continuing the war. Even if this deal makes it to Sunday, I believe there is a strong possibility of this deal falling apart over the next several months. It should be remembered that brief wars in 2009, 2012, 2014, and 2021 all ended with deals that did not hold.
Is the Nativity a Palestinian Story?
There are several parallels between the plight of Palestinians today and the plight of first century Jews living under Roman-rule which has prompted some Palestinians to use the symbols of the Nativity to critique Israel’s occupation and treatment of Palestinians.