President Trump often speaking uncomfortable truths. Of course, he says a lot of things, but what matters is when he nails it. Case in point: The future of Gaza’s remaining residents.
The media went wild when Trump spitballed where the Gazans should go. As usual, they missed the point.
Gaza is a demolition zone, as Trump said. According to the UN, 69% of all Gaza buildings are damaged or destroyed, including at least 92% of residential buildings. The fresh water system is gone; the power grid demolished. As Hamas often hid in hospitals, health care in Gaza will be minimal for years.
What remains can support a small fraction of the 2 million or so remaining Gazans consigned for now to live in tents or rubble.
The usual fools talk of aid and rebuilding. Aid is fine, temporarily. Gazans are desperate for shelter, food, medicine, water. For these miserable souls, the future is now.
But rebuilding? Get real. It would take many years under ideal circumstances which are, on the contrary, foreboding. Are the remaining Gazans to live in tents for years?
Watch the videos of Hamas loonies celebrating as they dribble out their hostages. All clad in their nice, clean unis, sporting weapons of various sorts, the terrorists revel in the art of the farce.
Imagine the Houston Hambones football team trails the Indiana Invincibles 77 to 0 in the fourth quarter’s waning moments. The Hambones’ offence manages a first down, and the entire team whoops it up on the sidelines as though they scored the winning touchdown in double overtime.
The farce is the lesser issue. New unis; guns; a big show; they need to show their financial sponsor, Iran, that they still have fight left.
Left to continue its mischief, Iran will eventually smuggle enough material into Gaza for a new missile and drone building program. You know what follows.
Meanwhile, the IDF rests and reorganizes. When Hamas resumes its attacks, Israel will level what remains of Gaza, civilians again in the crossfire.
Nobody will commit financing to rebuild Gaza only to see it demolished in the next war. As long as Hamas remains active, Gaza will remain a wasteland, slowly rotting as the desert reclaims its own.
Here’s a better idea. Solve the problem at the source. Stop tolerating Iran’s nonsense. We’re not talking about another Iraq war, or even renewed and tightened sanctions.
Take out Iran’s critical infrastructure one refinery and oil terminal at a time until the Mullahs are driven out. If the murderous zealots won’t leave, at least they will be financially broke and unable to prop up their terrorist proxies.
Oh, but that would be an act of war. You betcha. The Iranians have been at war with the United States for half a century, fighting with everything they’ve got. This is America’s longest never-ending war.
It’s past time this war ended. Joe Biden’s clowns would never have the guts for this. Trump does. It’s time for the big dog to bite.
Only when Iran stops being the area’s agent provocateur will the Middle East enjoy lasting peace. Trump’s Abraham Accords showed the rest of the region is ready, but only once Iran’s financial pipeline to Hezbollah is broken will peace settle on Israel’s northern border or will Lebanon have a stable government. Only when Iran’s support for the Houthis dries up will they dry up.
Once Iran is forced to abandon Hamas, only then can Gaza begin to recover, but even so, that will take many years. Where are the Palestinians to go in the meantime, Trump mused?
J.D. Foster is the former chief economist at the Office of Management and Budget and former chief economist and senior vice president at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. He now resides in relative freedom in the hills of Idaho.
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