Summary

The article discusses the potential for American involvement in the reconstruction of Gaza and the West Bank following a war between Israel and Hamas, juxtaposing it with historical American aid to nations post-conflict and the current dynamics of U.S. support for Israel.

Abstract

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas raises immediate concerns about ceasefires and the cessation of hostilities, but the article shifts focus to the aftermath of the war. It highlights the extensive damage to Gaza and the West Bank, questioning whether the United States will aid in rebuilding these areas or if Israel will expand its territory into Palestinian lands, continuing its settlement policy. The article draws parallels to America's post-World War II reconstruction efforts, particularly the Marshall Plan, and contrasts this with the current $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel, despite the Senate stalling additional assistance. It underscores the disparity in aid between Israel and Palestine, with USAID providing$ 150 million to Palestinians, and critiques the devaluation of Palestinian lives in American foreign policy. The article suggests that after the war, Israel may annex more Palestinian land, and with the international community's reluctance to accept Palestinian refugees, the future for displaced Palestinians looks grim. It also touches on the political motivations of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to continue the war and the potential for American involvement in land confiscation.

Opinions

The article implies that America's significant financial and military support to Israel, despite not being a direct participant in the Israel-Hamas war, indicates a level of involvement and responsibility for the conflict's aftermath.
There is a critical view of the disparity between the substantial aid provided to Israel and the relatively small amount given to Palestinians, suggesting a bias in U.S. foreign policy.
The author questions the value placed on Palestinian lives by the United States, pointing out that American policy and media narratives have dehumanized Palestinians, making it easier to justify the conflict and the resulting humanitarian crisis.
The article expresses skepticism about the likelihood of Israel relinquishing any newly confiscated Palestinian land post-war, indicating that annexation is a more probable outcome.
It is suggested that Netanyahu's political survival could be a driving force behind the continuation of the war, rather than a genuine pursuit of peace or security for Israeli citizens.
The author seems to argue that the U.S. may tacitly support the confiscation of Palestinian land by Israel, unless there are political gains to be made, such as appealing to Palestinian-American voters in key states like Michigan.

Will America Pay to Rebuild Gaza and the West Bank?

Or Will it Pay to Create a Larger Israel?

By Palestinian News & Information Agency (Wafa) in contract with APAimages, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=138775597

What Happens When the Shooting Stops?

Most of the focus on the ongoing war between Israel and Hamas is on when there will be a cease-fire. When will the air strikes by Israel on military and civilian targets stop? At what point will the ground surge, which has now extended into central and southern Gaza, be halted?

I won't dismiss the missiles going into Israel from Hamas forces in Gaza and the West Bank, along with the trade of missiles between Hezbollah forces in Lebanon and Israel. This, too, needs to stop. The world is asking when there will be a cease-fire and, more importantly, an end to the war.

My question is, what happens afterward? Much of Gaza and the West Bank has been reduced to rubble. The infrastructure there has been severely compromised, except for most of the construction projects previously funded by America. Assuming the war eventually ends, will the United States help rebuild Gaza and the West Bank, and will those areas be returned to Palestinian control in any fashion?

One alternative is to provide itself with greater security. Israel will take over some of the land previously held by Palestinians. One could argue their ongoing settlements in the West Bank were already encroaching on Palestinian territory, and any new takeover would be a continuation of existing policy.

A History of Rebuilding

America has a long history of helping nations it's been at war with. After World War II, we initiated the European Recovery Program (ERP), or the Marshall Plan, and sent $13.3 billion (equivalent to $173 billion in 2023) in economic recovery programs to Western European economies. We helped rebuild not only allies like England and France but also Significant amounts went to defeated enemies Germany and Japan.

One could attempt to make the case America isn't a participant in the Israel-Hamas War. That would require ignoring the significant funding and weaponry America provides Israel. America had previously agreed to provide $3.8 billion in military aid to Israel for 2023. An additional $14.5 billion in assistance has been passed by the House of Representatives but stalled in the Senate due to funding for Ukraine opposed by Republicans. Be assured that while Ukraine funding is up in the air, Israel will get its share of the money.

No matter the level of devastation in Palestinian areas in Gaza and West Bank. Whether any aid can be passed bipartisanly to rebuild those areas is questionable. America has given money to Israel but only lip service to the civilians in harm's way in the Middle East.

The Value of a Palestinian Life

The United States has provided aid to Palestinians in the past. It's a pittance compared to what we give to Israel. USAID provided $150 million in 2023 to empower Palestinians to build "thriving and resilient communities."

In an episode of "The West Wing," President Jed Bartlet wonders out loud why a fictional Kudanese life is worth less than an American one. Speechwriter Will Bailey replied, "I don't know, sir, but it is." President Bartlet and his staff faced the reality that American foreign policy is based not on what is right but on what is in our interests.

A Palestinian life is worth less than either an American or Israeli life based on our actions. We are paying Israel to wage this war so that our soldiers don't have to. No American boots on the ground are the justification for the billions provided to Israel to let them do it. American policy ignores the millions of men, women, and children starving to death while foreign aid piles up on the Egyptian border. A recently released American hostage equated all Palestinians with Hamas, and the story ran across the spectrum of American Media. It's permissible to bomb civilians and watch families starve because they are all terrorists, animals, and rapists. We have devalued Palestinian lives to make it easier to look away from the devastation.

After the War

I see no scenario in which Israel doesn't confiscate Palestinian land with no intention of giving it back. Instead of occupying land, they will annex it. There are reasonable logistic concerns about how they keep themselves safe from whatever remains of Hamas. Let's not forget they were taking over Palestinian land with illegal settlements before the war began. Shortly, we won't be talking about pre-1948 borders or pre-1967 borders. We'll be talking about pre-2023 borders when the dust settles.

There are millions of displaced Palestinians with only rubble to return to. Unlike Ukranian refugees, who were openly accepted in many places worldwide. Palestinians. Other Arab countries are reluctant to accept more refugees, believing that Israel will not allow them to return.

“All historical precedent points to the fact that when Palestinians are forced to leave Palestinian territory, they are not allowed to return back. Egypt doesn’t want to be complicit in ethnic cleansing in Gaza.” — H.A. Hellyer, Senior Associate Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

The suggestion that American pressure will cause Israel to bring the war to an early end, relent to a cease-fire, or fall back to pre-war borders rings hollow. Many, if not most, Israeli citizens are concerned about the level of pain inflicted by air strikes and starvation, along with their own losses in battles and some to friendly fire. Israel's war strategy won't be based on the wishes of its citizens or American politicians but on the needs of Benjamin Netanyahu to remain in power. He is blamed for allowing the October 6th attacks in the first place, and many feel he needs an ongoing war to remain Prime Minister.

Unlike the proposed wall on America's border with Mexico that Mexico was supposed to pay for. America will ultimately pay for Israel to confiscate Palestinian land unless it comes down to chasing votes in Michigan with its large Palestinian-American population. We may watch while Palestinians starve because we value little Palestinian life.