T. Belman. Gantz said that he wants to strengthen the PA and to separate from the Palestinians. As I have said many times, the left in Israel wants separation from the Palestinians and thus supports the TSS.
This why he permits illegal Arab construction in Area C.
He also said, “Happy that I blocked the threat of annexation of Judea and Samaria.”
Defense Minister says agreements with Arab countries could lead to situation where Israel and Palestinians separate into two different entities.
By Nitsan Keidar, INN Jul 21, 2022, 11:30 PM (GMT+3)
Defense Minister Benny Gantz participated on Thursday in the Aspen Security Forum, in a “fireside chat” moderated by editor of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg. The discussion focused on the impact of the Abraham Accords two years after their signing.
During the discussion, Gantz said, “The Abraham Accords enable us to expand our relations [with regional partners] in security aspects, in business to business [frameworks], organizations to organizations, and people to people. And of course we are creating a regional architecture for defense.”
He added, “Israel was moved from EUCOM to CENTCOM – and we use it as a strategic umbrella. Since the signing of the accords, there have been hundreds of meetings and discussions with regional partners, and Israel has participated in at least 10 multinational exercises with regional partners. I am very happy that the U.S. has led this and that the region’s leaders have realized and taken this opportunity. We are creating a better Middle East.”
Regarding Iran, Minister Gantz said, “Iran is first a global challenge, then a regional challenge and only lastly it is a threat to the State of Israel. We can see it everywhere around the world – the Iranian impact in Venezuela, Algeria, Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen. The Saudis and the Emiratis also suffer from Iranian attacks, Iran does not only pose a threat to the State of Israel.”
He added, “The countries of the region understand that Israel is here to stay and that Israel is not a burden but rather an asset. Our excellent relations with the US can be used as a bridge. Israel does not threaten the countries of the region, while Iran does. We can see Iran’s malign activity in the region without a nuclear canopy, without nuclear deterrence. Imagine what they would do with it. And that’s why we cannot let Iran become a nuclear [state].”
“At the same time, I do not know of another country that has another country, in this case Iran, threatening its existence and building the means to do so. The government and leadership of Israel has a historic responsibility to build our capabilities and to prevent Iran from becoming nuclear.”
Regarding the Palestinian issue, Minister Gantz said, “I believe that we can leverage the Abraham Accords and ties with regional partners in order to strengthen the Palestinian Authority and promote confidence-building measures. From a Jewish, Zionist, and democratic perspective, I would like to see a better future between us and the Palestinians and that includes separating from the Palestinians.”
“I think the Abraham Accords can today help strengthen the Palestinian Authority, and build a reality of separation and two entities,” Gantz stated.
“I see this as a Zionist matter and Israel must be a safe, democratic and Jewish state,” he added.
Despite Arab refusals so far of partition and their reneging on Oslo the TSS is still a valid longterm objective or the alternative is a one state solution – either Israeli Jewish (retaiining the Christians and Druze to fox opponents’ PR) or Arab Islamist judenrein.
At the moment we are all in the Mufti’s war to decide for a TSS or for a one state so for the moment there is no point in Israel leaving anything till AFTER a treaty is signed and ratified. However the peoples have to be ofered a vision of AFTER the war and if that is peace all round then the war can finish sooner.
The problem is how to persuade one-staters especially that majority among the PA Arabs that it will be better to call off the war soner and get on with the rest of our lives both sides of a slightly amended Green Line.
How to drive home that lesson to the PA and those who think the sun shines out of “Palestine fake Garibaldi” is something that Israel has not entirely clarified to itself: iron wall? settlement? stonewalling UNWRA and other NGO’s? Persuading EU, US and others to stop subsidising the PA? encouraging the end of the petro-era by building Zaslavsky power towers? or a combination of all these?
Israel needs to sharpen its focus then it can raise its determination and action.
Reader
July 22, 2022 at 8:42 pm
@peloni
Peloni:
Reader:
This means that Israel’s military is now under the command (or, at least, control) of the US military (basically, as a part of it).
I think most people don’t understand this.
Could it be the explanation of Gantz’s words and behavior?
I’ve decided to repost it because the article now has its own thread.
This “fireside chat” is deeply disturbing. I can not honestly believe that so many Israeli’s still support the policies espoused by Gantz as is represented by his party being the 4th largest party in Knessett, and his numbers are expected to potentially grow or at least be maintained? I find this to be completely inexplicable, particularly with the score of fatal attacks in the past months, which have not stymied his efforts in the least to revive the TSS.