WhatsappThe Gaza Strip is the biggest thorn in the side of the State of Israel. It is not a large swath of land. However, there are around 1 million Arabs – if not many more – living in the area of Gaza City and nearby. It is very logical for people to think that there is no reason that Israel should want to manage such a large minority in it’s midst. That is part of what led the Israeli government to literally walk away from the area and remove nearly 10,000 Jews from their towns. However, the logic of this move was completely flawed.
The Alternatives to the Gush Katif Withdrawal
When the Israeli government forcibly removed all of the Jewish towns from the area of the Gaza Strip, one of the biggest problems with that ill-fated move was the non-consideration of all of the negative consequences. Many thought that the Arabs in the Gaza Strip may revolt against Israel. But they argued that it would be better to fight from outside a border fence than from within. Six thousand missiles later, that has been proven completely wrong.
Power Vacuum
The other consideration that was largely overlooked was the power vacuum issue. Who would take over the Gaza Strip? If Israel is not in charge, who would be? The Hamas was very strong in the Gaza Strip. So, there was concern that they would take over and terrorize Israel. In truth, that is exactly what happened. But now that the Palestinian Authority looks to run things, they lack 2 basic qualities – grassroots support and morals. The Palestinian Authority only looks to aggrandize more power and money. But they are very careful to horde the international funds for their cronies and henchmen. This keeps the grassroots from supporting them. It’s also immoral.
The truth is that the Hamas and the Palestinian Authority are indeed very different. But either one is impossible to work with. They each cannot lead anything but armed uprisings and international money laundering schemes. It was much better when Israel ran the lives of one million Arabs. We do a better job and can keep the missiles out of their hands.
The only feasible long-term plan for peace is via the textbooks. On this issue, Israel needs to be rather ruthless. It is the best chance we have at dealing with a more open-minded next generation.
