Self-deception comes so easily when it concerns the Palestinians.
There was a story of a big rabbi who came to a small town in Poland. He was received there with great fanfare and respect. A woman approached him and asked that he bless her to have a child. She and her husband had tried for years, but they still had no children. The rabbi spoke gently and pointed out that while he would gladly pray for her, ultimately, what could he do? God alone gives the gift of children and he could not take His place. The woman begged and pleaded, but the rabbi said that it was beyond his ability to promise her a child.
“I will tell you one thing. My mother went many years without having a child. A very big rabbi came to her town, and my mother presented him with a beautiful winter fur coat. The rabbi was so moved that he blessed her to have a child, and I am that child.” The woman’s face lit up instantly. “Rabbi, I am going to make you a coat like you have never seen before in your life!” As she turned to go, the rabbi said, “There is only one problem. My mother never heard this story.”
And thus, there is a world of difference between doing something right and copying a pattern and expecting a similar outcome. Anyone who has read my articles on this website knows that I am a big fan of President Trump and his policies. I think that he has done a great deal to right the listing ship, USS America. Obviously, his detractors or outright haters would argue with such a conclusion. I believe that his efforts to close the border, eject illegal aliens, spur economic growth via tariffs and massive external investment will make the US a much better country. He has always been a great friend of the Jewish people and the state of Israel. Nobody knew how the final batch of living hostages would come home until Donald Trump told Hamas to release them. So you know that I am coming from a position of support and respect for the president and his get-it-done administration.
I understand the idea of a “Peace Board” to get around the UN and get things done. That which I understand less is the program being put forward for Gaza. And the reason why I don’t understand is that there are certain immutable facts that make the whole $25 billion program untenable:
- Hamas will not really demilitarize
- The people are Hamas and Hamas are the people
- The fundamental hatred of Jews is not addressed in the program
- Countries such as Turkey and Qatar will work to strengthen Hamas against Israel
- The Palestinian Authority is as corrupt today as it has always been
- Egypt will make no effort to prevent the movement of weapons into Gaza
- Israel will once again bet put at risk of Palestinian terror from Gaza
When World War II ended, the Japanese and Germans were beaten. They not only lost on the battlefield, but they were also morally defeated. Their bets on Hitler and Tojo did not pay off and led to massive death and destruction as never seen before. When the people accepted that they had lost and had no hope, they could accept change. The huge investments made by the US and its allies in former enemies Germany and Japan were made to change their trajectory. Nazi ideology and Japanese imperialism first had to be removed from the people before their transformation could take place. And this is the step that Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff choose to gloss over every time they plan some super-duper program for Gaza’s future.
The Gazans voted for Hamas the last time they had elections. In the first months of the war, local support for Hamas’ pogrom was over 70%. Gazans ran into the streets to celebrate the murder and kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and civilians. Unlike Germans, not one Gazan raised a finger to help return one of 250 kidnapped Israelis. The Gazans made a macabre spectacle during the transfer of the murdered Bibas' mother and babies. This is the problem in Gaza, much more so than 60,000 rifles and whatever rockets and RPGs Hamas still has. The hatred of Jews and Israel is cemented in their hearts, and nothing in the big program outlined by Kushner addresses this fundamental issue. As long as Gazans hate Jews and want to destroy Israel, giving them free new apartments and arranging work for them will not make a Singapore. They will spend all of their time, new wealth and resources thinking about how to kill Jews. When we were in Munich, an old man rammed his shoulder into my brother. My father, who had quite mixed emotions about returning to Germany after fifty years, was apoplectic. He felt very comfortable around younger Germans who had nothing to do with the suffering he experienced. But this guy was old enough to be a former Wehrmacht soldier. Nothing will change in Gaza until something changes in Gazans. And there is nothing in the Kushner-Witkoff program to make that happen.
We often think that poverty causes hatred and terror. And sure, there are many Palestinians whom Yasser Arafat and his fellow billionaire Abu Mazen have left in miserable conditions. That is quite intentional. In the 1970s, Israel offered to exchange refugee camps for better housing; the PLO refused—keep them miserable so that they will have the desire to kill Jews. But don’t forget that Bin Laden was quite wealthy, as are all of the heads of Hamas who have spent the war ordering room service in Doha. Giving the Gazans new housing and incredible work opportunities will not change their hatred of Jews or their desire to make the state of Israel disappear. Go look at the great efforts of “denazification” that took place in Germany. Patton did not believe in the process, but those above him did, and having some association with the SS or the Nazi government was a block against future work in the new Germany. Simply taking Hamas’ weapons—which I do not believe will occur—is not enough. One can always get new guns and rockets from Egypt or make them from scratch. The Jewicidal mentality has to be neutralized. What should have been done is to tell the Gazans that when you are willing to live peaceably with your JEWISH Israeli neighbors, we will make every effort to make your lives better. Until then, enjoy your tents.
Kushner and Witkoff wish to jump to dessert without having the main course. The Gazans don’t need a $25 billion economic hub. They need to get away from their genocidal Islamic ideology. But since that is too hard, we’ll skip to the finish: we’ll announce that the weapons have been collected and the worthless fig leaf government is not really a Hamas front and we’ll send in billions to reward the Jew killers and their supporters with new apartments, streets, stores, and high-paying jobs. Not addressing the root problem will make all of their efforts worthless. “Hey, look, they’re firing RPGs on Sderot from that new 25-story deluxe tower that Steve Witkoff dedicated last week.” Oops. What do you do then? Knock it down.
Let the Gazans sit in the mud and think about what they have done. All of the destruction started on October 8th and not October 6th. They brought it upon themselves. Once, like the Germans and Japanese, they understand that and want to change, then they start to talk about the future. The sun will rise in the west before they give up on wishing to kill Jews.