Wednesday, February 26, 2025
Elder of Ziyon
There are two problems in this response that are worth calling out.
The first one is fairly obvious: a poor plan is worse than no plan. However, I wouldn't say that Lapid's plan is poor - it would be certainly better than how Gaza was pre-October 7.
The second problem is more subtle, and it is one that was shared by much of the world during the war, including from the US: that Israel should not fight a war without a plan for post-war Gaza.
Once again, this betrays a fundamental misunderstanding of the region.
Any reasonable plan for post-war Gaza would involve other Arab states to cooperate. (The exception is Israel annexing Gaza completely, and that is not a reasonable plan.)
By definition, if Israel presents a plan that requires something from other Arab nations, they would reject it out of hand, because they would look like they are lackeys of, or collaborating with, Israel.
Once again, the honor/shame dynamic is key to everything in the Middle East. It would be shameful to accept any plan that Israel proposes or to be seen as a partner with Israel against "Palestine."
This doesn't mean Israel cannot present plans privately, or cooperate with Arab partners in coming up with what would be acceptable. But it cannot be done in public, because its very publicity would doom it.
The UAE has shown strong indications that it is shedding the honor/shame mentality and looking for win/win situations, which is a major reason I believe it is has best chance for partnering for the future of Gaza.
Does Bibi have a plan? I have no idea. But I'm sure he has ideas and that he has discussed those ideas with the US and others.
The presentation of a plan is more important than the plan itself when it involves Arab states. It can never, ever appear to be an Israeli plan.
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