All of Israel’s activities since that date came not as a surprise but have unfolded according to a systematic plan, as evidenced by Prime Minister Netanyahu’s assertion that “Israel is changing the face of the Middle East," notwithstanding that certain factors enabling Israel to capitalize on opportunities to advance its project for the region project.
The implementation of this "Israeli project" is still in its early stages, and Tel Aviv is poised to take more steps to achieve its project under a clear and developed strategy.
In fact, the difficult circumstances faced by the Arab region, including internal crises and outside interferences, opened the gateway for the activation of this Israeli project.
What is the essence of this Israeli Project, how does Israel think, and what are the policies to expect from Tel Aviv in 2025?
We have to stress here that Israel appears to have shifted its approach from a strategy of merely “managing the conflict with Palestinians" to what can be described as "managing the new realities it attempts to impose on everybody through legitimate and non-legitimate means."
The Israeli military operations in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria, carried out under the guise of confronting "existential threats", established new facts on the ground that Tel Aviv plans to hold on to, barring a settlement with concerned parties that guarantee its security goals.
In fact, the regional situation has allowed Tel Aviv to make decisions that were unfeasible in the near past, especially annexing the West Bank or large swathes of these occupied territories under the guise of its "security requirements".
In parallel, Israel has continued dismantling Iranian proxies with tacit backing from President-Elect Donald Trump.
Israel's use of excessive force has become a central pillar of its policy, no longer predicated only on ensuring its security but now aiming to achieve "peace" on its terms.
Israel aims to leverage a second Trump term to achieve three goals: 1) Preventing the establishment of a Palestinian state according to the Arab vision; 2) Resuming normalization deals with Arab countries, especially Saudi Arabia; and 3) destroying Iran's nuclear capabilities.
The current trajectory in the region casts more troubles for the future of the Palestinian cause. This trajectory includes Israeli expansionism, the absence of an Arab counter-strategy, the challenges of the Gaza war, and the more difficult requirements in a post-war Gaza, given that the Israelis made it clear that they do not intend to withdraw from and plan to reintroduce settlements in the strip.
This bleak context narrows options for action to alter the current equation as Israel achieves results on the ground.
However, we have no choice but to counter Israeli actions with decisive and urgent action.
This starts with coordinated Palestinian and Arab serious steps that would reign in wild Israeli ambitions.
As the primary stakeholders, Palestinians must develop a comprehensive national project that unites all factions under a shared commitment to political inclusivity without wasting time on futile reconciliation attempts.
Success in this task, which I believe is possible, requires a unified vision grounded in key principles: the recognition of the Palestinian Liberation Organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people, the establishment of a state along the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the pursuit of these goals through negotiations.
In parallel with this national project, Palestinians must present a clear, integrated political vision that resonates with the international community. This vision must redefine the issue from a humanitarian crisis about aid and opening border crossings to a political cause of an occupied people striving for liberation from their expansionist occupier.
Once this groundwork is laid, and as soon as possible, Arab states must adopt this vision and present it as a comprehensive Arab vision to solve the most complicated issue in the region to the United States.
This approach would align with the American goal of ensuring Israel’s security and its integration in the region but with the condition of ensuring that Palestinians win their legitimate rights.
An Arab practical way forward could involve proposing a (deal) to President Trump that would mark a historic achievement for his administration.
The deal would be reached based on the following steps: Within his first three months in office, Trump would invite Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to the White House to outline and agree on general principles for a settlement. This would pave the way for negotiations in Washington DC, Sharm El-Sheikh, or another agreed-upon location.
The mere initiating of such negotiations would result in positive regional implications. I would advise that such a path must be embarked on and implemented. We would certainly not lose as much as we have already lost in recent conflicts.
Israel must understand that we will not give in to its project under any circumstance. For us as Arabs, the battle is a battle for our future.
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