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Several key architects of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq 21 years ago are proposing a plan to rebuild Gaza’s surviving population and “de-radicalize” while ensuring Israel retains the “operations” to continue its campaign against Hamas and Islamic Jihad. free” .
The plan, released Thursday in the form of a report by the hardline neoconservative Jewish Institute for National Security Affairs (JINSA) and the Vandenberg Alliance, calls for the creation of a private entity, the Gaza Relief International Trust Fund, and reconstruction by Saudi Arabia. It is led by a group of Arab countries including Ukraine, Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, and is “supported by the United States and other countries.”
Regarding Palestinian participation, the report of the “Gaza Future Working Group” envisages the establishment of an advisory committee “mainly composed of non-Hamas Gazans from Gaza, the West Bank and the diaspora”. Furthermore, the West Bank-based Palestinian Authority “should be consulted and publicly supported in the creation of the trust fund” while the institution itself undergoes a “transformation” process.
In addition to granting Israel permission to intervene with Hamas and Islamic Jihad in Gaza, the plan calls for trust fund leaders and “capable forces from non-regional countries with close ties to Israel” as well as “vetted Gazans “Provide security. ”. The trust should also have the power to “hire private security contractors with good reputations among Western militaries” and “coordinate closely with Israeli security forces,” the report said.
The task force that prepared the report consisted of nine members, four of whom served as Middle East policymakers under former President George W. Bush and before and after the disastrous 2003 invasion of Iraq. played a key role.
The panel is chaired by John Hannah, who served as Vice President Dick Cheney’s deputy national security adviser from 2001 to 2005 and later as Cheney’s national security adviser (2005- 2009), replacing Lewis “Scooter” Libby, who was charged with perjury. Libby later received a full pardon from former President Donald Trump and was a member of the Gaza task force.
Another key member of the task force is Elliott Abrams, founder and chairman of the hawkish Vandenberg Alliance, who served as director of Near East and North Africa affairs on the National Security Council under Bush from 2002 to 2009. Senior Director, most recently as Senior Director for Near East and North Africa on President Bush’s National Security Council. Special envoy for Venezuela and Iran under Trump. Ironically, Abrams, who served as the National Security Council’s senior director for democracy under Bush, supported Hamas’s archrival al-Fafa after Hamas’ sweeping victory in the 2006 Palestinian elections. Taher played a key role in the 2007 armed coup attempt. The coup attempt sparked a brief but bloody civil war in Gaza that ultimately led to Hamas consolidating power in the Strip.
Anbu. Eric Edelman (retired), the fourth member of the task force, served as Cheney’s principal deputy national security adviser from 2001 to 2003 and subsequently under Rumsfeld and his successors Undersecretary of Defense for Policy, the Pentagon’s third-ranking official, Robert Gates. From 2005 to 2009, the U.S. military struggled to contain mainly Sunni resistance to the U.S. occupation of Iraq.
In addition to their collaboration during the Bush administration, the four have long been associated with strongly pro-Israel neoconservative groups, serving on the boards or in advisory roles at organizations and think tanks such as the Hudson Institute and the National Defense Foundation . Democracies, the ultra-hawkish Center for Security Policy, and the Vandenberg Alliance and JINSA. In fact, the policies pursued by these groups are broadly consistent with those of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party.
Therefore, the report’s “key findings” prioritize: [these are quotes]
- Restore Israel’s deterrence and security needs, not only for the sake of its people, but also for Israel’s status as a strong regional ally and an important component in countering Iran’s ambitions; and
- Dismantle Hamas as a military and governing force and prevent Hamas from reorganizing itself through Israel’s continued freedom to take action against Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad; By demilitarizing, deradicalizing and improving conditions in Gaza, So that a major terrorist attack like October 7 cannot and will never happen again…
Its proposed trust fund should include the United States and relevant countries that accept Israel’s role in the region, the report said, and “should provide humanitarian assistance to help restore basic services and rebuild civil society in Gaza in response to the intense fighting and subsequent Condition”. months. Its activities shall be managed by an international committee composed of 3 to 7 representatives from the main countries supporting the Trust Fund (including Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, etc.). At least one notable omission from the list is Qatar, which has provided tens of billions of dollars in aid to Gaza over the past decade.
Echoing Washington’s disastrous de-Baathification campaign in occupied Iraq, the report places special emphasis on “de-radicalization” efforts. “The Trust recognizes that years of radicalization by Hamas has complicated the task of reform and recovery in Gaza and should therefore focus on a long-term plan to deradicalize the media, schools and mosques,” the report said. The Gaza diaspora should play an active role in the development and implementation of these plans, along with the Trust’s Arab members, who have practical experience of successful deradicalization efforts in their own societies. ” It continued that such efforts in Gaza could “serve as a model to encourage similar plans there, which are critical if a credible two-state solution is to be restored.” “
The Task Force urges the Trust Fund to coordinate efforts with other countries, non-governmental organizations and international organizations, including the United Nations. But, echoing one of Likud’s key points, “it should recognize that UNRWA’s activities contribute to perpetuating and deepening the Palestinian crisis.”
The report said immediate relief assistance from UNRWA may be necessary, but “plans to replace it with local Palestinian agencies or other international organizations committed to peace should be developed and implemented.”
All of these efforts should be conducted within the broader context of countering “Iran’s aggressive actions that undermine regional peace efforts, including limiting the threat posed by Hezbollah and restoring progress toward normalization between Israel and Saudi Arabia,” the report said.
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