OPINION:
Next week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will meet with President Trump. More than a victory lap after the extraordinarily successful operation that the two men led against the Iranian regime, the agenda will reportedly include potential next steps in the Gaza Strip and the possibility of expanding the Abraham Accords to include other Arab and Muslim countries. Indeed, with these two bold, out-of-the-box thinkers in the same room, they could seize a remarkable opportunity to reshape the Middle East for the better, once and for all.
Even ahead of the talks, Israel has agreed to move forward with a hostage-ceasefire deal. In exchange for the return of some hostages, Israel will release hundreds, if not thousands, of terrorists and institute a 60-day ceasefire, during which it will discuss entirely ending operations in Gaza.
That would effectively mean accepting a Hamas return to power, unthinkable to an Israeli public whose sons and daughters have fought in Gaza for 20 months, with nearly 900 having made the ultimate sacrifice. It would guarantee another October 7 in the not-so-distant future.
If Hamas rejects this proposal, which is likely, Israel will have to reoccupy all of Gaza. This would eliminate Hamas eventually but may result in hostages being killed, guerrilla warfare with many more deaths and injuries to the Israel Defense Forces and civilians in Gaza, and a long process before any reconstruction can occur.
However, another possibility is workable and transformative.
In his last White House meeting with Mr. Netanyahu, Mr. Trump unveiled what naysayers dubbed “Mar-a-Gaza” or “Gaz-a-Lago.” Now these two innovative leaders can embarrass their detractors by forging a framework that would build on the Trump plan and unlock a cascade of regional benefits, setting a path for lasting peace and prosperity.
In September, The Atlantic reported that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman had told Secretary of State Antony Blinken, “Do I care personally about the Palestinian issue? I don’t, but my people do, so I need to make sure this is meaningful.”
Though a Saudi official characterized this account as “incorrect,” longtime observers of the region know that it is, as they say, “directionally true.” Regardless, the crown prince can exhibit care about the “Palestinian issue” and do something “meaningful” for the Gaza residents.
Mr. Trump has just eliminated the nuclear program of Saudi Arabia’s greatest enemy. The prince owes him. He should now effect a temporary and voluntary relocation of Gaza’s civilians to Saudi Arabia, possibly into Neom, the ambitious megacity under construction. This approach would remove Gaza civilians from harm’s way and allow the IDF to dismantle Hamas completely.
This is a win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win-win.
Israel wins by removing Hamas’ human shields and eliminating the terrorist group decisively. No more rocket fire from schools. No more command centers under hospitals. Just a definitive military victory over a violent Islamist menace.
The Gaza residents win by gaining the chance to live, work and raise families in peace. Rather than living in crumbling neighborhoods or refugee camps, they can settle in a modern city with jobs, education and security. When Gaza is rebuilt, they could return with real hope for a better future.
Saudi Arabia wins by stepping into its long-claimed role as the defender of Palestinian dignity. It gains regional prestige and a motivated workforce that can help build its Vision 2030 dream. The kingdom always needs labor and currently employs 13 million foreign workers.
Egypt wins by having Hamas disappear from its border. Hamas, after all, is a lethal offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood, which is a danger to the Egyptian regime and scares it so much that it built a series of walls on the border with Gaza and would not let refugees flee the fighting.
With this enhanced Trump plan, the Muslim Brotherhood weakens, the threat to the Sinai weakens and regional stability strengthens.
Mr. Trump will win. His Gaza reconstruction plan could move forward, and a peaceful, rebuilt Gaza free of terrorism would become a living monument to his bold leadership and strategic vision.
The Abraham Accords and the Middle East will win by opening the door to broader regional stability and peace, allowing countries to band together to fight common threats and achieve common economic goals.
The United States and the West will win as America lightens its footprint in the region and pursues the long-awaited “pivot to Asia.” Moreover, as a strategic counterweight to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, this would clear the way for the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, which was announced at the Group of 20 summit in New Delhi in 2023.
The economic corridor envisions linking South Asia with Europe through a network of ports, railways, and digital and energy infrastructure, connecting India’s western coast to Europe via the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Israel.
Allowing Gaza residents to relocate to Saudi Arabia is not some naive fantasy. It is a humane solution rooted in the region’s hard realities. It recognizes that the Gaza residents deserve a future, that Arab nations are ready to lead and that the United States can still shape history and steer the world toward a brighter future.
• EJ Kimball is the director of policy and strategic operations at the U.S. Israel Education Association and a foreign policy and national security consultant.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.