MKs Danny Danon of the Likud and Ram Ben-Barak of Mish Atid, members of the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, published an article today (Tuesday) in the Wall Street Journal, in which they propose a new initiative to address the civilian side of the Gaza problem.
The two called for the formulation of a plan that would allow for the massive transfer of refugees from the Gaza Strip to countries that would agree to absorb an agreed number of refugees.
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""Hamas has turned Gaza into the world's largest terrorist base and turned the residents of the Gaza Strip into human pawns and hostages, while using schools, UNRWA facilities, hospitals, mosques, kindergartens and cemeteries as bases for launching missiles at Israel and as sites for establishing terrorist infrastructures.".
""Hamas terrorist operatives are robbing international humanitarian aid from the UN and international organizations, such as food, medical equipment, and fuel that should be used by the civilian population in Gaza, under threat, and leaving the Palestinian population without treatment while they conduct the battles from underground bunkers and tunnels," the article states.
Danon and Ben Barak criticize the resolution passed by the UN General Assembly calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. "The UN resolutions do not deal with reality and ignore the fact that the terrorist organization Hamas is the problem and not the solution, because it has prevented and continues to prevent, even more so, the possibility of stability and hope for the residents of the Gaza Strip. Therefore, it is crucial that the international community stand up for the residents of Gaza and examine new ideas, while taking concrete actions that will improve the reality on the ground for the day after.".
To deal with the problem, the two propose that, similar to other similar conflicts around the world, countries around the world will embrace Gazan families who wish to emigrate and resettle with the consent of the parties.
They also detailed in practical terms how the plan could be implemented. "This could be done through a structured mechanism, in interstate coordination, designed to provide an international response to the residents of Gaza. Moreover, in order to facilitate the acclimatization of those Gazans, the international community can and should assist them with a generous financial aid package, so that every Gazan family can be absorbed into the destination country more easily and comfortably.".
According to them, "International organizations can play a central role in transferring Gazans who are interested in doing so to countries that agree to accept them. Even a relatively small initial number, of 10,000 Gazans per receiving country, would bring enormous relief to the suffering of the population and improve the situation in Gaza. There are 193 countries in the world, most of which, at least according to their votes in the UN, support uncompromising support for the Palestinians, so it can be assumed that they will not object to helping those Palestinians whom they have supported over the years. All that is needed is a number of countries that will respond to the request and accept the Gazans in order to help the population that will emigrate as well as those that choose to stay.".
The two MKs concluded: "This is not only a moral obligation but also an opportunity for the countries of the world to stand shoulder to shoulder and demonstrate compassion and commitment to a sustainable solution that will help stabilize the entire Middle East.".
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed the initiative: "I welcome the initiative for the voluntary evacuation of Gaza's Arabs to countries around the world. This is the right humanitarian solution for the residents of Gaza and the entire region after 75 years of refugees, poverty and hardship.".
""Most of the Gaza population is the fourth and fifth generation of the 1948 refugees, who instead of being rehabilitated long ago on a personal and humane basis like hundreds of millions of refugees around the world, were held hostage in Gaza in poverty and overcrowding and were a symbol of the desire to destroy the State of Israel and return the refugees to Jaffa, Haifa, Acre and Tiberias. This is also the reason for the intense hatred on whose knees the Gaza population is raised and educated for the State of Israel and the Jews, a hatred that only it can explain the cruelty of the terrible massacre that Hamas-Daesh committed against the citizens of Israel, as if the State of Israel were the source of all their troubles, and in any case, the solution lies in its destruction.".
He emphasized: "A small area like the Gaza Strip, without natural resources and independent sources of livelihood, has no chance of existing independently, economically and politically, in such high density over time. Therefore, the absorption of refugees by the countries of the world that truly have their best interests at heart, with generous support and economic assistance from the international community, including the State of Israel, is the only solution that will bring an end to the suffering and pain of Jews and Arabs alike.".
""The State of Israel will no longer be able to accept the existence of an independent entity in Gaza, which, as stated, is inherently based on hatred of Israel and the desire to destroy it.".
