Pro-Hamas West Bank a Bad Idea

Since the inauguration of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States on January 20, gargantuan changes have occurred.

For these changes to be long-lasting, both houses of Congress must pass laws to implement them and send the bill to be signed by the president.

If not, and the White House changes hands in four years and flips to a Democrat then, like now, with the stroke of a pen all those changes will evaporate. Congress has their work cut out for them. These bills must be passed before the midterm elections — Congress can also swing back to the Democrats.

My eyes are on the Middle East and especially Israel. Seismic movements are taking place. They began almost immediately after the November presidential election almost three complete months before Trump's move into the White House.

The no-longer-stalled negotiations for the return of hostages brutally kidnapped by Hamas on October 7, 2023 have resulted in the saving of a handful and the return of women and men to their families who survived the brutal massacre. Hopefully, more hostages will be reuniting with their loved ones.

President Trump is bombastic. He is hyperbolic.

His leadership style is — shake things up and knock people off kilter. It is during that process as people struggle to regain their balance that new ideas and new models can emerge.

The hyper-negative response to Trump's suggestion that the U.S. "own" Gaza was more "anti-Trump" than "anti-proposal." This would be obvious to anyone listening, reading and watching the vitriol.

Most disappointing is that those pundits and politicians should know better. Anyone who has been involved in diplomacy or business, in any deal would understand.

Add to that, anyone who has studied diplomacy and history or just observed the Middle East for a short period would tell you that any initial proposal is never the settled agreement.

It is just that — it is a first suggested solution. And now that the proposal is on the table it can be used as a draft.

It should be dissected, changed, adapted, reworked, fine-tuned, debated, reinvented and redrafted. This process will repeat itself numerous times.

From this "out of leftfield" suggestion at a White House press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin "Bibi" Netanyahu, the first head of state to visit D.C. since Trump's inauguration, the announcement took so many observers by surprise. For that reason — maybe — just maybe, a solution will emerge.

But that is not what worries me.

For many Israeli leaders and Israelis, all these changes instill a sense of relief. They feel that the White House is now an unabashed supporter. Trump understands. Both of these points are correct.

That's where I get worried. Israelis and Israeli leadership need to understand that, of course, there is no doubt that Trump is a supporter of Israel. Bibi called him the best friend Israel has ever had in the White House.

The Israeli prime minister and the U.S. president each recited the impressive list of what Trump accomplished for Israel during his first term and since his second term commenced on January 20.

Israelis do not quite understand that these things were done not primarily for Israel.

Trump is doing these things because it is best for the United States. Trump believes that this latest proposal is the best way to alleviate the suffering of the Palestinians. It will give them a peaceful future.

It will prevent Hamas' to return to power while at the same time making certain that Hamas or any other force from Gaza will not threaten Israel again.

All the exceptional things the U.S. has done are in tandem with Israel's interest. That is exactly correct — in tandem. The U.S. under Trump has concluded that these moves are in the best interest of the United States.

As was the case with every U.S. president and every Israeli prime minister, there is no doubt that tensions will emerge.

Israel must understand that only Israel has Israel as their prime priority. Israel, just Israel.

Possible deals will develop, including with Saudi Arabia. The U.S. is going to ask Israel to make big compromises. These requests might not be in the best interests of Israel. The Jewish State will have to stand strong.

We have heard that Saudi Arabia has been insistent that any deal with Israel be dependent on the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank.

Here is the problem: Since October 7, it has become clear that that is not a feasible option from both the security and the political leadership point of view.

In survey after survey taken after October 7, a shockingly overwhelming majority of Palestinians living in the West Bank supported the Hamas massacre on October 7 and support the murder of Israelis.

Israel must always do what is best for Israel, and a pro-Hamas West Bank is a certain recipe for disaster.