Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Really 'understanding the settlements': Why Gaza is still central

The sooner Gaza can evolve into a Mediterranean Islamist beach paradise, the better for all (foreign) parties concerned.

By Mark LeVine
Al-Jazeera


".......The long-term importance of the Gaza redeployment is clearer than ever if we consider that the hardcore nationalist right never believed in a two-state solution and has always sought to create enough facts on the ground in the West Bank to render withdrawal impossible. Or rather, it seems the Right has a two-state plan, and not a one-state plan it says it's offering. It's just that the two states have very different borders than most people imagined they would - namely Israel and the West Bank as one state, and Gaza as another.

The situation forces a re-evaluation of Israeli attitudes towards Gaza. Similar to the Egyptian military's relationship to the Muslim Brotherhood (which it oppressed for decades until it was domesticated enough to trust with a share of power), Israel would have no problem working with its current enemy Hamas - whose early development it after all supported - once it learns to play by the rules.

Rather than starving Gaza into submission, it now becomes clear that Israel has a strong interest in encouraging a rapid development of the Strip under the friendly guidance of the Turks, Qataris and Egyptians (not surprisingly, few if any structures recently built with Turkish or Qatari money were damaged in last November's Operation Pillar of Defence). The sooner Gaza can evolve into a Mediterranean Islamist beach paradise - a Beirut without alcohol, scantily clad women or Shia (at least not out in the open) - the better for all (foreign) parties concerned.

On paper, it's a very inventive scenario. But it will never be anything more than a complete fantasy, even if it is the official if unstated policy of the Israeli government......."

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