Now Gaza – Gershon Baskin

Now it is time to complete the deal with Hamas.

Just as President Trump told both sides – Iran and Israel – that the war is over, now he needs to tell Israel and Hamas that the war is over. Just as Trump told Iran that they will never have nuclear weapons, he needs to tell Hamas that they will never rule Gaza again. For the sake of the Palestinian people, Hamas needs to lay down their weapons and release the hostages (Israel will release Palestinian prisoners as well) – those Hamas combatants and leaders in Gaza who want to exit may do so safely with their families – Turkey and Qatar are the best places for them to go.

The Palestinian Authority President needs to appoint a legitimate person to form a temporary government for Gaza (without Hamas) until the Palestinians can hold elections. President Trump should encourage Egypt, Jordan, the UAE and Saudi to offer to send a temporary security presence to Gaza that would deploy and work with a Palestinian security force to establish law and order coordinated with Israeli withdrawal from Gaza.

Twenty months of war in Gaza is far too much already. Now is the time for it to end.

Categories: Insights

Gershon Baskin

Gershon Baskin is one of the most recognizable names in the Middle East Peace process. He is a political and social entrepreneur who has dedicated his life to peace between Israel and its neighbors. His dedication to creating a culture of peace and environmental awareness, coupled with his impeccable integrity, has earned him the trust of the leaders of all sides of the century old conflict. Few people have such far-reaching and positive impacts on promoting peace, security, prosperity and bi-national relationships. Gershon is an advisor to Israeli, Palestinian and International Prime Ministers on the Middle East Peace Process and the founder and director of IPCRI, the Israeli-Palestinian Public Policy Institute. He was the initiator and negotiator of the secret back channel between Israel and Hamas for the release of 1,027 prisoners – mainly Palestinians and Arab-Israelis of which 280 were sentenced to life in prison, including Yahya Sinwar, the current Palestinian leader of the Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The prisoners were imprisoned for planning and perpetrating various attacks against Jewish targets that resulted in the killing of 569 Israelis in exchange for one Israeli soldier, Gilad Schalit. Gershon is actively involved in research and advocacy concerning topics such as social policy, environmental security, political strategy, peace education, economics, culture and in the development of affordable solar projects with the goal of providing clean electricity for 50 million people by 2020. He is a founding member of Kol Ezraheiha-Kol Muwanteneiha (All of the Citizens) political party in Israel. He is now directing The Holy Land Bond and is the Middle East Director for ICO – International Communities Organization - a UK based NGO working in conflict zones with failed peace processes.