This week a very disturbing conference took place in Jerusalem, attended by thousands of people who have, unlike the Israeli government, reached conclusions regarding the future of the Gaza strip, after Israel has won the war against Hamas.
The conference was attended by numerous members of the Knesset and by twelve members of the Israeli Cabinet, indicating the strong support among Israeli (right-wing) politicians.
The plans that were presented for Gaza after the war, consisted mainly of two basic items: the resettlement of the Gaza strip by Jews, and the “voluntary” emigration of Gaza residents.
The Gaza strip was abandoned by Israel after the infamous “disengagement” in the summer of 2005, when all Israeli settlements in Gaza were dismantled and the Israeli population evacuated from the Strip. The main argument used by the architect of the disengagement, Ariel Sharon, was that it is impossible and illogical for a small number of Israelis to live among more than two million Gaza residents. But now, the proponents of returning to the Gaza Strip have found the ideal solution to this dilemma: “voluntary emigration” where “voluntary” is defined as “something you impose until it is agreed upon”. The speakers noted that since the start of the war, Israel has urged (and forced) the civilian population in the Northern Gaza strip to move to the south, so as not to be caught in the crossfire. And thus, the road to resettlement of the Strip is open and it is the duty of the Jewish people to resettle the land as it was promised to Abraham.
The conference quickly deteriorated in a show of fascist Jewish Supremacy and speaker after speaker exulted in the idea of the “new Gaza” with multiple Jewish settlements and without Palestinians.
The fact that the Israeli government was represented by a number of ministers indicates how close these fascists are to the current Israeli plans and policies for the Gaza strip, even if Netanyahu claims the ideas presented at the conference do not represent government policy or government position.
Only a week earlier, the International Court of Justice in The Hague, ruled that some of the actions by Israel in Gaza could be interpreted as genocidal and against basic human rights, the speakers at the conference, encouraged and applauded by the three thousand attendants, told the world that indeed Israel is planning severe humanitarian actions in Gaza, the major one being the “voluntary” resettlement of the local population. Or course, the International Court does not have the means to enforce its rulings on Israel, but the diplomatic impact is significant, in particular when such clear signs what the intentions of the Israeli government are being given at a conference that in particular deals with illegal occupation, and human rights violations.
And where in Netanyahu, the Israeli Prime Minister? Not surprisingly, our “leader” is only busy with one thing that has kept him preoccupied throughout the war and before that: Self-preservation. His shaky coalition, dominated by fascists such as Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, will definitely not survive if Netanyahu will clearly state that the policy presented during the conference are not government policy and thus, no clear statements from the Prime Minister’s office have distanced Israel from the fascist ideas presented and this is clearly interpreted as a silent agreement. Of course, at least according to recent opinion polls, thirty percent of the Israeli population are in favor of reoccupation of Gaza and the rebuilding of settlements there. It is unclear how many Israelis are in favor of resettlement of the Gaza population, but it is clear that the Fascist Jewish Supremacy narrative is quickly taking root in Israel and as long as our “leaders” do not clearly speak out against this fascist trend in Israeli society it will broaden and change the “Jewish” State and will make it unrecognizable.
Apparently also the Jewish people did not learn from history, not even their own history.
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