What will happen to the Gaza Strip? Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu presented his vision to the US Congress at the end of July. Can his plan work? A religious Jew doubts it and presents a completely different solution – one in which Christians play a significant role. The idea may sound unrealistic or even crazy, but it's certainly worth a closer look. This Jewish perspective was first published in the Israeli daily newspaper, the Jerusalem Post.
By Jonathan Feldstein, translated by Paushali Lass
Prime Minister Netanyahu's speech at a joint session of the US Congress in late July was both praised and criticized for many reasons. Hillel Fuld, influencer and Israeli tech guru, poetically called it the "Mona Lisa of speeches," while Nancy Pelosi claimed it was "by far the worst presentation by a foreign dignitary invited and honored with the privilege of addressing Congress." Some criticized Netanyahu for going to Washington at all, while others celebrated him for being the only foreign dignitary to have addressed Congress four times. One of the most anticipated parts of his speech was his vision for Gaza after the war.
“The day after we defeat Hamas, a new Gaza can emerge. My vision… is a demilitarized and deradicalized Gaza Strip. Israel does not want to relocate the Gaza Strip. But for the foreseeable future, we must maintain supreme security control there to prevent a resurgence of terror and ensure that the Gaza Strip never again poses a threat to Israel. Gaza should have a civilian administration run by Palestinians who do not seek to destroy Israel… A new generation of Palestinians must no longer be taught to hate Jews, but to live in peace with us. These two words, demilitarization and deradicalization, were applied to Germany and Japan after the Second World War, resulting in decades of peace, prosperity, and security. After our victory, the demilitarization and deradicalization of the Gaza Strip, with the help of regional partners, can also lead to a future of security, prosperity, and peace.”
It remained unclear, however, how this vision could be translated into a genuine solution for peace in Gaza, a solution that addresses the theological and ideological root of the problem—the radicalization Netanyahu spoke of. The real solution is a complete restoration of the Gaza Strip, carried out by Christians from around the world. This is a radical idea, all the more so as it is advocated by an Orthodox Israeli Jew.
Christians as mediators
The root of the problem in Gaza is an extremist Islamic ideology that calls for the destruction of Israel and the genocide of the Jews, and which is supported by most people in the Gaza Strip. Christians can be honest mediators to restore the Gaza Strip with love and prevent the culture of hatred and terror from resurfacing.
Christians have traditionally gone to the most dangerous and inhospitable places in the world to show their love and strengthen communities. The Gaza Strip is ripe, the need is great, and the time is now. An “army” of Christians working to rebuild the Gaza Strip will give the people there hope by genuinely caring for their well-being, and it will prevent the people of Gaza from continuing to spread hatred and physical threats against Israel.
The “two-state illusion”
Since the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023, I have been disturbed by the absurdity with which many promote a "two-state solution" as the only answer and panacea: the creation of a Palestinian-Arab state in a territory whose population actively supports Hamas, even though it denies that the massacre ever took place. And when it admits that it did, many Palestinians find justification for it and celebrate it. They are adherents of a genocidal theology according to which Israel has no legitimacy, Jews are foreign occupiers, and they worship the destruction of Israel and the murder of all Jews.
The two-state solution is definitely not a solution that will bring peace, nor is it a gift to reward terror. It is more of a "two-state illusion." Today, Islamic terror is rewarded with the message of establishing a Palestinian state: kill enough Jews and you get a state. The fact that there is no peace is not because a Palestinian state has not yet been established. Rather, it is due to Islamic intolerance toward the existence of a Jewish state.
Those who reflexively call for a two-state solution seem to be reading lines from the film "Argo," in which CIA agent Tony Mendez says, "There are only bad options. It's a matter of finding the best one." At the time, the US was dealing with its own hostage crisis involving Islamists. The CIA officer to whom he was reporting asked, "Don't you have a better bad idea than this one?" to which he replied, "This is the best bad idea we have, sir, by far."
The current situation is unsustainable, but the answer is not to promote the "best bad idea," which would only worsen the situation and legitimize another terrorist state on Israel's borders, a state whose citizens desire Israel's destruction and which has failed for decades. Establishing a new terrorist state because there is no better idea is foolhardy. And dangerous. What is needed now to truly bring peace to the Gaza Strip and rebuild it is a genuinely good idea. Many who propagate the two-state illusion themselves acknowledge that it is not practical.
Wanted: A better idea
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said of the fight against Hamas: “We also have to defeat the ideology behind Hamas, and that can’t be achieved on the battlefield… Ultimately, you have to beat that idea with a better one.” White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby echoed this sentiment: “We don’t believe that military strikes alone can eradicate an ideology.”
Open statements from Israeli leaders also emphasized the need to change the ideology in Gaza, in addition to achieving a military defeat. Israeli army spokesman Daniel Hagari declared: “Hamas is an idea. Anyone who believes we can eliminate Hamas is wrong. The political sphere must find an alternative – or it will remain.” Tzachi Hanegbi, a political figure and close advisor to Netanyahu, stated simply: “We cannot get rid of Hamas as an idea; we need an alternative idea.”
For a genuine peace solution for the Gaza Strip, for the alternative idea, the Palestinian Arabs need a change of heart. The Gaza Strip must be rebuilt, starting from underground, where hundreds of kilometers of tunnels have created a labyrinth of terrorist infrastructure. The Palestinian Authority and the "moderate" Arab states cannot be relied upon. They are the ones who enabled the kleptocracy that endangers the people of Gaza through arms smuggling and gave Hamas control over the Gaza Strip.
Hope through Christian love and care
The real solution for peace in Gaza requires Christians who will rebuild everything. Engineers, architects, and urban planners. Medical personnel, nutritionists, and educators. People with a background capable of reconstructing and creating prosperity. Christians will succeed because they love the people of Gaza and want their well-being, and they reject the evil Islam represented by Hamas and Iran. They will oppose a return to hatred and terrorism against Israel because that is bad for the people of Gaza. But they will also do so because they love Israel and the Jewish people and want Israel to live in safety, free from genocidal threats.
And when Christians show their love and genuine care, the people of Gaza will see a different path, a "better idea." They will realize that the extremist Islam they have embraced has failed them. They will encounter people who have a relationship with the God of Israel, and they will recognize that the people and the state of Israel are not only not enemies, but important allies.
Ridiculous? Crazy? Maybe. But there are no other viable ideas.
Further information: www.SolutionForPeaceInGaza.com
Jonathan Feldstein is president of the Genesis 123 Foundation. Born and educated in the USA, he immigrated to Israel in 2004. He is married and has six children. Feldstein is a leader in working with and among Christian supporters of Israel and shares his experiences as an Orthodox Jew in Israel through his work, his writings, and as host of the podcast Inspiration from Zion. You can reach him at [email protected]
This article first appeared in our newspaper "Israelaktuell," issue 138. You can order the newspaper here . We would also be happy to send you several copies for distribution.
