American website: Will Netanyahu and Trump agree on a deal regarding Gaza and the West Bank? | policy
The Hill website published an article predicting that President-elect Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would agree on a deal regarding Gaza and the West Bank, which it described as being a “ridiculous” and expensive deal that would serve their personal interests.
The author of the article, Raoul Wootliff, who specializes in communications and strategic consulting, says that the transactional policy pursued by Netanyahu and Trump is preparing to recast the disaster as a victory and present a new chapter in this tradition.
He expected that with Trump’s re-election, the Middle East would soon witness some unusual policies: ending the war in Gaza in exchange for Israel’s annexation of parts of the West Bank.
He explained that for Netanyahu, such a scenario would allow him to claim that he not only defeated the Islamic Resistance Movement “Hamas,” but also reshaped the map of the Middle East.
At the same time, it will distract attention from the devastating security failures on October 7, 2023. For Trump, it will be an opportunity to strike a grand bargain early in his second term, give his base a sense of strength and cement his legacy as a “master negotiator.”
Transactions policy
Both men follow a long tradition of transactional politics, where short-term situations take precedence over long-term stability, he said. Trump’s 2018 summit with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was an example of these policies.
This summit, which was described as a breakthrough for global peace, embodies how leaders transform moments of crisis into situations that serve their personal interests.
Netanyahu also played a similar game, describing settlement expansions in the West Bank as “punishment for Palestinian aggression” and using military operations to bolster his image as Israel’s ultimate defender.
Wootliff stressed that exchanging Gaza for the annexation of the West Bank fits seamlessly with the policy pattern followed by Netanyahu and Trump.
The interests of both men
For Trump, the deal offers an irresistible political payoff, as facilitating such a move would position him as the architect of a bold reorganization in the Middle East, bringing “peace” to Gaza while defending Israel’s sovereignty in the West Bank.
The stage for this deal has already been set, as the appointment of Yesil Leiter as Israel’s ambassador to the United States and the nomination of Mike Huckabee as US ambassador to Israel indicate a clear alignment of interests.
Big costs
The writer continues by warning that the costs of this deal will be significant, explaining that while there is an urgent need to stop hostilities in Gaza, annexing the West Bank could lead to untold unrest and more violence.
It will also deepen divisions within Israeli society, further isolate Israel internationally and crush any remaining hopes for a two-state solution.
For Palestinians, it will represent another chapter in a long history of dispossession and denial of rights, as their future is traded away for the political survival of leaders who view them as pawns in a larger game.
For Netanyahu, such an agreement may temporarily preserve his political survival. For Trump, it may shine his image as a dealmaker. But for the people of the region, it will be a stark reminder that in such self-interested politics, it is always the people who pay the highest price.
