Are Israel’s Plans to Screw Us?

I didn’t want to let this interview by Gordon Fairclough of Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant in the Wall Street Journal pass without comment. The entire interview, dwelling mostly on Israel’s plans moving forward, is informative and excellent but I wanted to call attention to this passage:

After calls last week by far-right members of Netanyahu’s coalition for a return of Jewish settlers to Gaza and Israeli occupation of the strip, Gallant’s office outlined a postwar vision of Palestinian self-governance coupled with freedom for the Israeli military to act against security threats.

As Gallant sees it, a multinational task force led by the U.S., with European and Middle Eastern partners, should oversee the “rehabilitation” of Gaza.

The emphasis is mine.

I honestly don’t know whether to laugh or to cry about that. Mr. Gallant is not hesitant to violate the “Pottery Barn rule”, is he? After having reduced Gaza to rubble he wants Israel to dash away as quickly as possible leaving the mess to good old Uncle Sugar to clean up.

A key problem is that the United States is not seen as an impartial third party but as an unconditional supporter of Israel. As I see it there are only two likely reactions to U. S.-led administration of the wreck that remains of Gaza: either we’re being too tough on the Gazans or too lenient with them. Such a task force would be an ongoing source of political unrest domestically and would in all likelihood prompt attacks on the U. S., either in Gaza, elsewhere in the Middle East or even here at home. I don’t believe we have anything whatever to gain from such a role.

Here’s my alternative proposal. A task force with European and Middle Eastern partners, led by Germany, the only major European power that hasn’t tried to colonize the Middle East, should oversee the “rehabilitation” of Gaza. The U. S. should maintain a dignified silence.