My view is similar to yours: From 1967 to the present moment, Mideast diplomacy has been one long exercise in futility. Even Henry Kissinger, a man I greatly admire, could do little more than slap on bandaid after bandaid.
The problem, of course, centered on the Palestinian Arabs. The "world community" turned them into permanent refugees unto the fourth or fifth generation. And for decade after decade, the "world community" has indulged the Palestinian fantasy of river-to-sea nationalism by pretending that the Palestinians don't really mean it, and that a "two-state solution" is possible.
I'm not confident that Trump thought all this through, but I do believe he senses it. And with his proposal, he's calling a lot of bluffs. The Arab states have long made sympathetic noises about the plight of the Palestinians. But up to now they've adamantly refused to take their Arab brothers and sisters in. Now Trump is saying: "Do your part and America will do its part." At the very least, he's shaking things up, and maybe that'll be enough.
Excellent analysis. Just as Trump threatened Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, but he eventually settled for something (maybe less than what he wanted—it wasn’t even clear exactly what he wanted), this could be a threat to Hamas, and though we may not get full Transfer , something good will come out of it, as you have suggested. It might be a bit of Trump Bluff.
Under Trump my flabbers are well and truly gasted. Not sure they can take anymore, they're so gasted.
As for de-populating (de-hostaging?) Gaza: if there is an attempt to massively empty the region, what might be the response of Hamas? How will they resist? And where would the people be sent, if the Muslim countries don't want them (and we certainly don't want them in the western hemisphere, either)?
My view is similar to yours: From 1967 to the present moment, Mideast diplomacy has been one long exercise in futility. Even Henry Kissinger, a man I greatly admire, could do little more than slap on bandaid after bandaid.
The problem, of course, centered on the Palestinian Arabs. The "world community" turned them into permanent refugees unto the fourth or fifth generation. And for decade after decade, the "world community" has indulged the Palestinian fantasy of river-to-sea nationalism by pretending that the Palestinians don't really mean it, and that a "two-state solution" is possible.
I'm not confident that Trump thought all this through, but I do believe he senses it. And with his proposal, he's calling a lot of bluffs. The Arab states have long made sympathetic noises about the plight of the Palestinians. But up to now they've adamantly refused to take their Arab brothers and sisters in. Now Trump is saying: "Do your part and America will do its part." At the very least, he's shaking things up, and maybe that'll be enough.
Excellent analysis. Just as Trump threatened Canada, Mexico, Venezuela, but he eventually settled for something (maybe less than what he wanted—it wasn’t even clear exactly what he wanted), this could be a threat to Hamas, and though we may not get full Transfer , something good will come out of it, as you have suggested. It might be a bit of Trump Bluff.
Under Trump my flabbers are well and truly gasted. Not sure they can take anymore, they're so gasted.
As for de-populating (de-hostaging?) Gaza: if there is an attempt to massively empty the region, what might be the response of Hamas? How will they resist? And where would the people be sent, if the Muslim countries don't want them (and we certainly don't want them in the western hemisphere, either)?
I didn't really handle the practicalities of this plan. All good questions and I have to think a bit more what the answers are.