Let’s get one thing straight. Imperialism is back. Not neo-imperialism but real old fashioned imperialism. Greenland, Canada, Panama, and now Gaza.
Crazy to see the mask drop after one election cycle. Imperialism has become Washington’s naked foreign policy.
We know very little about Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza. He’s already shown that he has no problem using the threat of action to get what he wants. Unclear at this point how much of this is just rhetoric or concrete plans.
But nevertheless, let’s dive in.
Trump made it clear that the United States would own Gaza. Washington taking over Gaza would be the first time in nearly 80 years that a Western power held sovereignty over the land of Israel. Do we want a foreign power ruling over our land? The Assyrians, Babylonians, the Greeks, the Romans, the British. Do we think fondly of any of those times for the Jewish people?
It’s important to note that British colonialism started off wonderful for the Jews in Palestine. We were no longer second tier citizens as we had been under Ottoman rule. Thanks to the Balfour declaration and strong ties between some Zionist and British leaders, many expected British support for Jewish aspirations to rebuild a Jewish state in Palestine.
But regimes change and interests shift. It didn’t take long before the British limited Jewish migration to Palestine during our direst time of need and then made conflicting promises to other peoples, pitting Jews and Arabs against one another.
Even if we were to entertain the notion that Trump could be a true friend motivated by honorable intentions, we’d still have to ask what happens post-Trump. What happens when the pendulum eventually swings back (because it always does) and someone the likes of AOC comes into power? Are we going to want US forces occupying parts of our country then?
Even in this administration there are threats. The anti-Israel factions of the American right are growing stronger and NO ONE ON THE RIGHT IS CALLING THEM OUT. Tucker, Candace, Ian Carrol are going unchecked. What happens when their voices grow louder, gain more followers and take a stronger hold on MAGA. What is Trump going to do then?
Trump’s plan might seem dandy at the moment (for those less concerned with foreign sovereignty over our land). But if administrations and sentiments can change so fast, how can any of us see any wisdom in inviting an imperial power in to settle our disputes?
Israel’s number one priority should be to build a regional alliance with our neighbors in West Asia. We have changed the makeup of the Semitic region during this war and exposed the fragility of Iran. We now have the opportunity to use our strength, and the clout we have garnered, to build new partnerships. We should be building alliances with the countries or tribal factions in the region who are just as thrilled as we are that Iran is weaker than we thought. Can we imagine the strength of a regional alliance between Israel, the Sunni Arab states, and the Iranian people? We saw a glimpse of what this can look like during the first Iranian attack in April 2024.
But if we go along with Trump’s plan, we can kiss this vision goodbye. The Saudis already came out with a statement announcing that Israel can forget normalization if this plan comes to fruition.
Our Arab neighbors hate Israel because they see us as a foreign presence in this land. They see the Jews (or at least the Zionists) as foreign occupiers. And by handing over a piece of land to the empire, we appear to be proving them right. So maybe this temporarily solves Gaza? But what about the West Bank? If we ever thought peace was possible with the Palestinians, projecting that we are willing to accept foreign rule over our land is not the way.
It may be challenging to find the right solution for handling the Gaza situation right now. But I know for sure this isn’t the way. All we need do is open a history textbook to know this to be the case.
