Annexation (of Gaza) would reveal the pious incantations of Western politicians for what they are — impotent drivel at best, and cynical cant at worst. It would force them to choose: Either openly acquiesce in Israel’s blatant violation of international law, or actively oppose it. There will no longer be a middle way,
says Robert Grenier in his article for Pakistani newspaper 'Dawn'.
"Trump has chosen acquiescence. For all his moral obtuseness, he is by comparison with his predecessor refreshingly straightforward in what he means to do. Rather than wring his hands, he proposes to cut the Gordian knot by doing for the Israelis what they could not do for themselves: clear out the Gazans and swindle them with the specious chimera of “beautiful homes” in other countries, paid for by others," he writes.
"It is possible that the world will ultimately shrug and acquiesce. But that is by no means assured.
Israel is fast becoming an international pariah. Many countries, including in Western Europe, have pledged to enforce ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister, issued in response to a rolling, 17-month war crime.
Even in the US, the negative generational shift in attitudes towards Israel is striking, and the growing willingness of politicians to publicly oppose Israeli policy would have been inconceivable just a few years ago.
The furious right-wing demands to suppress pro-Palestinian demonstrators on American campuses and to sanction the ICC are useful indicators of fear.
No, peace in greater Palestine is not at hand. History will continue its dismal course, for now, the article notes.
"GIVE Donald Trump credit. In a stunning eruption last week, he proposed to annex Gaza and expel whatever inhabitants refuse to leave, generating a nifty waterfront investment opportunity in the bargain. It may seem counterintuitive, but he has done Palestinians a great favour. He has not ‘killed’ the two-state solution. That had long since died. Instead, he has added useful clarity to a pernicious situation.
The horrific Israeli onslaught of the past 15 months, following the terrorist outrage of Oct 7, is but the latest iteration of a recurrent pattern of Israeli repression, futile Palestinian resistance, and grossly disproportionate Israeli reprisal.
Whether or not Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu returns to the killing fields as promised, there will be no permanent end of hostilities so long as the underlying dynamic holds," - the article runs.
As Trump has pointed out, when you do the same thing over and over, “you end up in the same place”.
But that’s as far as credit can go. Needless to say, Trump’s proposal is absurd on its face. Most Gazans surely would refuse to leave. Trump concedes that US troops will not force them. Neither Egypt nor Jordan, alone or in concert, will accept two million Palestinians, for multiple obvious reasons.
And the Saudi leadership has made clear that they will not stand exposed before the entire Islamic world to finance ethnic cleansing on Israel’s behalf. In short, this half-baked idea is going nowhere, says Robert Grenier, who also authored the book '88 Days to Kandahar'.
Another article in 'Dawn' by Zarrar Khuhro says:
"DONALD Trump’s Gaza plan is as American as apple pie, given that it involves first slaughtering the indigenous population and then stealing their land for a profit. The process of decimation that was actively aided and abetted by former president Joe Biden is now reaching its logical conclusion under Trump.
This provides further proof — if such proof was needed — that when it comes to Israel, America’s two parties aren’t just on the same page; they are on the same paragraph, the same sentence, the same word, the same full stop.
Naturally, Trump’s plan has been received with widespread condemnation. Interestingly, Germany, the sub-Scandinavian country that has been one of the most unstinting supporters of Israel’s war crimes, said ‘enough is enough’ and has not only stated that Gaza — along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem — belongs to the Palestinians, but that they would ‘do their part’ in the reconstruction of Gaza.
Oh, and they also realised that such a move would be “in breach of international law”. Of course, this has less to do with some unlikely moral awakening and more to do with European antipathy for Trump and also the fear that their lily-white countries will be flooded with Palestinian refugees. "
ends
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