President Donald Trump has raised universal hackles by his Gaza proposal. First he dared to suggest that both Egypt and Jordan should, whether temporarily or otherwise, take in Gaza refugees. And then he added that he wanted to recast the hell hole that Hamas has turned Gaza into, to the Singapore of the Mediterranean.
The Palestinians will never accept it. It would threaten their refugee status and the money the rest of the world is committed to provide for them in perpetuity even if they are happily living somewhere else. The Arab countries anyway do not want any more Palestinians with their penchant for disruption, violence and victimhood. And it might undermine Hamas who have clung on to power and are already murdering any Gazan who challenges or objects to their disastrous polices. Several released terrorists have refused to return to Gaza for fear of their lives. And the pathetic UN, fixated on failed ideologies and its idiot supporters, can only come together to agree on one thing, the de-legitimization of Israel. They even fired Alice Wairimu Nderitu because she refused to accuse Israel of genocide.
“She Stood Up for the Truth. Then the UN Fired Her.”
Yes, I know there are exceptions. Reasonable people and moderates. And there are some states not blinded by dogmatic hatred. But their voices are swamped in the morass of media and dogma hatred. All proposals so far have failed. Einstein’s definition of insanity is repeating failures hoping to get better results.Here is an example.
HKOPS, The Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine Solution. It was a Saudi-based solution coming from an advisor to Mohammed Bin Salman that could only have been made with MBS’s approval. It superseded two previous Saudi peace proposals in 1981 and 2002 calling for Israel to withdraw completely from the West Bank. And this week a prominent Jordanian official actually promoted it.
https://english.alarabiya.net/in-translation/2022/06/08/The-Hashemite-Kingdom-of-Palestine
It provided amongst other provisions, for Amman, not Jerusalem to be the capital of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine. It abandoned the right of return to Israel conditional on compensation. It provided for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza and stateless refugees to get full citizenship of the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine,with all the elements of sovereignty applicable to members the United Nations. Gaza and part of Judea and Samaria (West Bank) would be merged into one territorial entity to be called the Hashemite Kingdom of Palestine.
The Saudi proposal’s author, Ali Shihabi, was a confidant of Mohammad Bin Salman. After its presentation to other Arab countries, major changes to the Saudi Plan were made. But it was never published in Al Arabiya News or on any other news site. Even so, the surprising failure of Jordan, the PLO or Hamas to reject the Saudi Plan since its initial publication was a ray of hope. Still, it could in theory be a basis for negotiation, and it is regretful that Israel at the time did not take it seriously. The proposal was shelved.
Those of us who were in Israel in 1967 remember how Arabs living on the West Bank under Jordanian rule since 1948, really hated the Hashemites. Jordan itself, with its huge Palestinian population, is torn between the Hashemite Bedouin elite and the Palestinians. Which led to the Black September massacres of Palestinians by the Jordanian forces in the Civil War of 1970-71, after the PLO tried to assassinate the king. No love lost there. Besides, as Palestinians now account for 70% of the population, I cannot see Jordan accepting any more. As for Egypt, it consistently refused to take Gaza under its sovereignty despite being repeatedly begged to by Israel. They will not agree to take them in now. Of course the proposal has, of course, reaped universal scorn and rejection.
Even today, some Israelis still like to claim that Jordan indeed is Palestine. The Jordan Is Palestine Solution, JIPS. It is true that it was part of the original mandate. But the reality is that they have no serious support from anyone else. Anyway, as the Saudi ambassador to Britain this week said, “there is no other solution than the two-state solution, and any deal between Riyadh and Jerusalem must include Israel’s agreement to the establishment of a Palestinian state.” And this has been confirmed by MBS himself.
I am sure that even if the Abraham Accords were to be expanded, neither Jordan nor Egypt would agree to their involvement in Trump’s plan. Indeed, they have both already rubbished it. But if Saudi Arabia cannot agree to become a fully-fledged member, there still can be some informal agreement that can bring them into a more co-operative ambit. And Trump who loves flying kites might just achieve the seemingly impossible.
The Trump proposal is not the same HKOPS. He is still leaving the door open for a Palestinian state if they can reject the Hamas extermination policy. And as we all want, he dreams of a peaceful, wealthy, productive Gaza.
Despite our prayers, it is clear to me that Israel will never be left to “Dwell in peace and ease and not be disturbed.” That is our fate. The rational side of me sees no hope other than continuing violence, sometimes hot, sometimes cold. Hamas and Hezbollah and their minions will not disappear. Iran will not change its tune, and the pathetic Houthis will continue to rattle their sabres. And yet the mystical side of me remains hopeful. Besides you never know, the Mashiach might actually come!!!
P.S. I am grateful to my Antipodean correspondent David Singer for providing me with details of the HKOPS plan.
Jeremy
February 2025
