Israel now has America’s blessing to build settlements in the Gaza Strip.
This is a policy change torpedoing 40+ years of American foreign policy. If peace is to be brokered in the Middle East, someone with power and influence has to give both parties to the conflict something to negotiate with. For Israel, it was a combination of military and financial aid from America. Billions of dollars annually. Israel as subsidized nation. Israel as love child protected by America to keep Iran, Syria, Saudi Arabi and the rest of the Middle East from attacking Israel. Meanwhile, the Palestinians had America’s pledge to bar Israel from building lasting settlements in Gaza. And a few other things, too.
Israel broke the rules over and over again. Then Netanyahu would abandon settlements in some areas, bulldoze them, and a while later sponsor building new settlements somewhere else in Gaza. This is foreign affairs by bullying. On again, off again, constantly changing tactics. Israel is good at it.
Unfortunately, Israel also is good at fomenting violence in their region all the while play-acting as the big brother of peace. America usually has bridled at these practices; under trump, however, Israel has finally received what it has demanded for years: freedom to develop the conquered areas of Gaza anyway they wish.
There is a problem in all of this: peace is only earned by all parties by compromising what they don’t want to do. It is this mutual discomfort that builds peaceful solutions. One state or two state architecture? Whichever works. Or not. Evidently not. No one will agree. And so Israel continues to bully its way around the region saying it gets no respect.
Sure, it is respected. And feared. That is respect in a different color.
The problem grows with this tactic, however; fear expands discomfort to the point that violence is preferred to doing nothing. Risks are viewed as worth it by those in Gaza living on little and starving more each day. Poke them in the eye often enough and they will lob missiles into Israel. Israel relies on this reaction and claims provocation so they retaliate by firing guided missiles into Gaza.
The stalemate continues. Perhaps America should withdraw its protections of all parties and let them slug it out? Why not? Energy supplies? At this point in world history, who cares? Fossil fuels are killing the planet. Shouldn’t we reduce fossil fuel usage by 50% or more to save the planet’s ecosystem? We have means to replace fossil fuels in the main; and we now have technology to reduce use with improved efficiencies at the same time.
Fossil fuels are passé. So is Middle East peace paid for by the global community. What would happen if we all walked away and left the killing field to the residents of the region? Think about that long enough and we may learn that they would find peace with little violence because that would be in their best interest. Stark but true.
Israel is not in the right in much of this. Neither are their enemies in the region. Nor is America in the right, either. We all play a role to keep this struggle alive and divisive.
Isn’t it time we changed this up? International leadership has played this game of safety too long. And badly. Something needs to change. And quickly.
America has been playing her cards badly in recent years. Today it is downright stupid.
November 21, 2019
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