Category: Israel

Israel, West Bank, Gaza — the Art of the Deal

Clearly the politics of the West Bank are very different from the politics of Gaza. It looks like the Israelis may be able to come to a real and lasting agreement with the West Bank. If so, that would give them more leverage in dealing with Gaza since Gaza would then be more isolated.

Would be interesting to know Kushner’s role in all this. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if Kushner was deeply involved. People in the real estate business are constantly making deals. Negotiation is the heart of their business. Witness Trump’s book Art of the Deal. That title wasn’t an accident. It’s all about wheeling and dealing in the real estate business. (And it’s not at all a bad skill for a president, either.)

The deal that’s being proposed for the West Bank has a lot in it for the Palestinians — recognized territory in the West Bank, a recognized capital in their section of Jerusalem, and significant financial aid.  An offer they can’t refuse?  Could be.  We’ll see.

Financial Chicanery?

Israel/Iran

I’m wondering if Trump is going to give the Israelis the green light to take out the Iranian nuclear facilities?  The US has in its arsenal that bomb for deep penetration of the earth — the “bunker buster” — so the Iranians can’t just dig deep enough to protect their nuclear assets.

We’ve backed away from the agreement with the Iranians — the agreement is a bust, and the Iranians are busy again creating more nuclear material, yet Trump’s policy is still we won’t allow them to have a nuclear weapon.  Sanctions alone will not restrain the Iranians from developing a weapon.  Something’s got to give.

It’s an open question whether the world would be a safer place or actually more dangerous if the Israelis were to attack and destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities.  What do you think?

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