Hamas wants Egypt to be Gaza’s economic channel instead of Israel? Yes, please. Feel free. Go right ahead. We’ll even help you do it.
Hamas is seriously contemplating severing the Gaza Strip’s economic ties with Israel, said Ahmed Yousef, a senior advisor to Palestinian Prime Minister and Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh, in a Saturday interview with the London-based newspaper al-Sharq al-Awsat.
Yousef furthermore stated that Hamas has already generated plans and proposals to unite economically with Egypt instead of Israel. According to Hamas, Egypt can serve as ‘Gaza’s gateway’ to the Arab and Muslim world and as its in-depth strategic partner.
The organization has already generated plans, likely presented to the Egyptian government during a Hamas delegation visit to Cairo last week, whereupon Egypt can supply the Gaza Strip with fuel and electricity, as well as opening the Rafah Crossing for commerce with Gaza.
“Several Arab countries have already expressed marked willingness to trade with Gaza and to fund energy export projects should Egypt prove willing,†said Yousef, noting that Hamas wants to bolster Gaza’s economy by ending its nearly absolute economic reliance on Israel.
Of course Fatah objects. Because this would end forever their dream of a Palestinian state in Gaza and the West Bank.
But it sure would simplify Israel’s existence. Give the Palestinians the West Bank, let Gaza be what it is and have Egypt be its economic partner, and let Israel go on without the Palestinians.
Of course, that isn’t what will happen. Nor is it what would happen. The major imports would be weapons and bomb-making materials, and Gaza would become a third front in the war to come: Lebanon, Syria, Gaza. Oops, fourth front. West Bank. And a great proxy front for Egypt.
I’d like to say that would give Israel free rein to go in fighting and take out the terrorists, but we all saw that that isn’t true. Whenever and wherever Israel defends herself, no matter what the issue, the world, in almost a single voice, says: No.