Gaza Is At A Turning Point
Their hell could soon end, or get infinitely worse.
The Lemkin Institute for Genocide Prevention has rightfully called the war in Gaza a genocide. We have all seen the videos and images, and read the credible reports of just how many innocent Palestinians have been methodically murdered. This is a harrowing chapter in our history, when the West, rather than stopping a genocide like we once did, have encouraged and protected one. But with Trump riling up international tensions, Gaza has been placed at a crossroads. Trump’s chaos could force Netanyahu to end this barbarity. Or his greed could force him to do the unthinkable.
But, before we get going, we must address the elephant in the room. Anti-zionism and antisemitism are two very different things; however, they are often conflated. Not only is this laughably wrong, as saying anti-zionism is antisemitism is like saying the USA is anti-Christian, as they overthrew the Christian rule of Britain, but conflating the two actually creates and drives antisemitism. It ignores the vast number of anti-zionist jews, it correlates the Jewish people with the harmful acts of the Israeli state, and it enables leaders like Trump to incorrectly weaponise powers designed to stop antisemitism against marginalised groups who aren’t antisemitic, and in the process, smearing Jewish people.
So, let’s be adults and recognise that these are two entirely different things. And, as a side note, if you are antisemitic, please take a long walk off a short pier.
Now that that is covered, we can get to Netanyahu’s dilemma.
United States Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, recently said that “We want to bring the hostages home, but Israel is not willing to end the war. Israel is prolonging it — despite the fact that we don’t see where else we can go and that an agreement must be reached.”
Alon Pinkas, a former Israeli diplomat, explained, “As far as Trump is concerned, Netanyahu has become an irritant and an irritant that doesn’t contribute to the bank account.” In other words, the Trump administration is getting fed up with spending money on Israel’s war in Gaza and getting nothing in return.
But here is the thing: Trump is a businessman, and a brutal one at that. He knows how to force people to make self-harming decisions that benefit him, and that is just what he is doing to Netanyahu. As Pinkas points out, “If [Netanyahu] wants Trump back on his side, then he needs to do things that would cost him the coalition.” Basically, most Israelis and most in the Israeli government want an end to this war. But, leaders of two far-right parties at the heart of Netanyahu’s coalition, and Netanyahu himself, want to use this as an excuse to colonise Palestine and drive Gazans out.
Netanyahu was already in a catch-22. He can gain democratic support and end the war, but alienate his far-right backers, and destroy his coalition. Or, he could carry on the war and keep those far-right parties on side but lose the democratic support, and again, that could topple his coalition. This is why he has been towing the line and drawing out the conflict in an attempt to appease both sides.
But, Trump and his isolationist, pseudo-fiscal conservative ways doesn’t want to pay for Netanyahu’s tightrope walk. So, he is forcing Netanyahu down a fork in the road. Why? Because Trump has his eyes on a juicy real estate deal.
Trump shocked the world when he announced plans for the US to “take over” the Gaza Strip and forcibly resettle the population somewhere else with no right to return (with the underlying tone that this “somewhere else” is 6ft under). The Middle East, the UN and almost every US ally denounced the plan as ethically insane, except Netanyahu, who loves it. You see, both Trump and Netanyahu argue that Palestinians could never rebuild Gaza, and would have to live in the rubble for decades, so letting Trump come in and redevelop the land into a resort-type thing is the right thing to do. Neglecting to mention that the Israeli state and the US are responsible for turning the entire Gaza Strip into a giant rubble pile.
If this wicked deal went ahead, it would be a boon for Trump. Not just politically, as it would bolster his nationalist colonial followers, but financially, as you can bet his companies would build gaudy resorts there.
To say this plan is detestable is an understatement, but the wheels are already in motion. The IDF is calling up tens of thousands of reservists to “intensify and expand” its operations in Gaza (like they weren’t already intense). Israel has also blocked aid (medicine, food and fuel), even more so than they used to, with many experts saying that Gaza is now at a “critical risk of famine”, leaving Gazans even more desperate.
The US has recently confirmed plans to get aid to Gaza, but it is a poisoned chalice. This plan, backed by Trump and Netanyahu, will use private US charities and security firms to replace the blocked UN aid, and only provide aid “directly — and only — to those in need”. This takes the Israel-US relations further outside the bounds of the UN, reducing oversight, transparency and accountability of this conflict. This means that their aim to only give aid “to those in need” is arbitrary and wildly dangerous. Particularly as both the US and Israeli governments have a habit of labelling innocent people as terrorists to suit their goals. These aid centres are also only going to be set up in the south of the strip, forcing Gazans to relocate, supporting the IDF offensive from the north, and making forcible resettlement down the line easier. In short, both Trump and Netanyahu are weaponising aid to further their genocidal intent for the Gaza Strip.
So, what does Netanyahu do? He has wanted to snatch Palestine and get rid of Palestinians for decades. Trump is giving him a golden oportunity to do that. But Trump is also impatient. He doesn’t want to wait around while Netanyahu tries to keep his torn government together. After all, it’s not like he respects the democratic process, is it?
I would love to say that Netanyahu will see the democratic want to end the war, and not fall for Trump’s bait. But, with the momentum in the other direction, and his past rhetoric and actions towards Palestine, I, and many others, can’t see that being an option for him.
Even more so now that MAGA has turned on Trump for openly taking multi-million-dollar bribes from Hamas-backed Qatar. Trump needs to regain traction, placing even more pressure on Netanyahu, as he could save Trump’s behind, and place Israel back in his good books.
It looks like we are entering the final phase of this genocide. If you have even a drop of compassion for the Palestinian people or have a marginally negative view of genocide, now is the time to scream and shout, before it is too late. We have stopped a genocide at the 11th hour before, and we can do it again, but only if we act.
Thanks for reading! Don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel for more from me, or Subscribe to join my monthly film club. Oh, and don’t forget to hit the share button below to get the word out!
Sources: France24, The Guardian, BBC, The Guardian, BBC, BBC, Lemkin Institute, BBC