Blinken Considers Post-War Gaza Plan After U.S. Election Amid Tensions and Opposition

[Social Media]

 

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is contemplating the introduction of a post-war strategy for Gaza, drawing from ideas developed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). According to U.S. officials, this plan would be presented following the upcoming U.S. presidential election. The proposal has garnered attention due to concerns about its potential consequences, particularly regarding its treatment of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and his government.

 

Some officials in the White House and State Department fear the plan could further marginalize Abbas, an outcome that Israel and the UAE are already advocating for in the immediate future. However, given the stalled negotiations for a ceasefire or a hostage release deal involving Hamas, Blinken and some within the State Department view the Israeli-Emirati plan as a potential alternative. They believe it could be a significant diplomatic step forward for the Biden administration, despite the absence of a peace agreement in the near term.

 

Several U.S., Israeli, Palestinian, and Emirati officials with knowledge of the matter revealed that the discussions surrounding this plan have been ongoing for months. Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister, has also been involved in the talks. In July, key figures, including President Biden's top Middle East adviser Brett McGurk, State Department counselor Tom Sullivan, Israeli Minister for Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, and Emirati Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed (ABZ), met in Abu Dhabi to discuss the plan’s potential.

 

The UAE has pushed for the deployment of an international mission in Gaza to provide humanitarian aid, restore law and order, and lay the groundwork for governance. They proposed that Emirati troops could be part of this force, but only if invited by the Palestinian Authority (PA) under reformed leadership, with a new, empowered prime minister. In essence, the UAE is looking to sideline Abbas, whom they view as ineffective and corrupt, in favor of a more independent figure, away from Abbas' loyalists.

 

A cornerstone of the Emirati plan is the commitment to a two-state solution for both Israelis and Palestinians. While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown support for some aspects of the proposal, he opposes its political implications, particularly the inclusion of the Palestinian Authority in Gaza and the endorsement of a two-state solution.

Recent discussions have reignited the idea of using the Israeli-Emirati proposal as a foundation for a broader U.S. initiative.

 

In September, Dermer and ABZ met with Blinken on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, urging him to endorse the plan and possibly present it as a U.S.-backed proposal after the election. Though the Israeli and Emirati embassies in Washington, DC, declined to comment on the matter, tensions persist regarding key elements of the proposal, including the reopening of the U.S. consulate in Jerusalem, a gesture the Emiratis believe would signal American leadership in the peace process. Israel remains staunchly opposed to reopening the consulate or mentioning a two-state solution.

 

At the heart of the disagreement between Israel and the UAE is the future role of the Palestinian Authority. While the UAE envisions a leadership transition in Gaza involving PA-appointed figures, Israel prefers to limit the PA’s role until much later. Blinken’s potential plan is expected to integrate ideas from Israel, the UAE, and the U.S., with the aim of gaining broader regional support. As one State Department official stated, “We will not support a day-after plan without a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. How that role could look like is still under discussion.”

 

Behind the scenes, the debate over this plan has sparked fierce disagreements within the State Department, with some of Blinken’s advisers at odds with him. One of the plan’s key proponents is Jamie Rubin, a close adviser to Blinken who has been working on the Gaza issue in recent months. While Rubin has traveled with Blinken and advocated for the plan, he faces skepticism from many in the White House and within the State Department. As one U.S. official noted, “The White House doesn’t like him, and many people in the State Department who deal with this issue don’t take him seriously, but he is a voice on this and he is close to Blinken.”

 

Palestinian officials have also expressed strong reservations. One senior Palestinian Authority official emphasized that the Israeli-Emirati plan is viewed with suspicion and is unlikely to receive regional support. “Playing with Gaza governance is too dangerous. Any mistake could kill the Palestinian national project,” the official warned, stressing that any individual leading Gaza independently from the Palestinian Authority would lack legitimacy in the eyes of the Palestinian people.

 

Based on a report from AXIOS 2024-10-18

 

 

 

[thaibeachlovers]

58 minutes ago, Social Media said:

Secretary of State Antony Blinken is contemplating the introduction of a post-war strategy for Gaza, drawing from ideas developed by Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Where are the Palestinians in this Brave New World? Are they invisible? Will they all be dead or expelled to the desert? Is Blinken a moron?

[Tug]

3 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Where are the Palestinians in this Brave New World? Are they invisible? Will they all be dead or expelled to the desert? Is Blinken a moron?

Are you?

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

Palestinian officials have also expressed strong reservations. One senior Palestinian Authority official emphasized that the Israeli-Emirati plan is viewed with suspicion and is unlikely to receive regional support.

That's understating it by miles. Any involvement by israel in a plan is toxic, and will likely be rejected out of hand.

Gazans have not seen 40,000 of their fellows blown to bits by American bombs to accept being under continued israeli oppression, collective punishment, and everlasting humiliation to accept that. They only have to look at the West Bank to see what israeli control looks like, and it's unacceptable.

[thaibeachlovers]

1 hour ago, Social Media said:

As one State Department official stated, “We will not support a day-after plan without a role for the Palestinian Authority in Gaza. How that role could look like is still under discussion.”

Would that be a subjugated to israeli control PA as in the West Bank that is despised by the vast majority of Palestinians?

[Tug]

7 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's understating it by miles. Any involvement by israel in a plan is toxic, and will likely be rejected out of hand.

Gazans have not seen 40,000 of their fellows blown to bits by American bombs to accept being under continued israeli oppression, collective punishment, and everlasting humiliation to accept that. They only have to look at the West Bank to see what israeli control looks like, and it's unacceptable.

They have no choice funny you are all agog with happiness thinking of putin taking over Ukraine but get your undies in a knot over the Palestinians being subjected by the Israeli government.i do agree it sucks but that’s what’s going to happen.

[Presto]

10 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Where are the Palestinians in this Brave New World? Are they invisible? Will they all be dead or expelled to the desert? Is Blinken a moron?

As with the famed Abraham accords, Americans think it's better to leave Palestinians out of the discussion.

[Hanaguma]

How about this: kill the rest of Hamas, kick out UNRWA, make sure that any aid given is supervised by reputable NGOs and is not used for weapons or terror infrastructure. 

[Cryingdick]

Shouldn't take Blinken long' There are only so many ways to pack up your desk before they take your security card.