Faisal’s view
The $53 billion reconstruction plan for Gaza, spearheaded by Egypt and endorsed by the Arab League last week, is a better alternative to US President Donald Trump’s proposal to displace Palestinians and rebuild the enclave into a beach resort, or Israel’s approach of blocking aid and hoping Gazans starve or leave. It is a fine plan — but it is far from being a slam dunk, at least when it comes to the main stakeholders: the US and Israel.
It is also not a royal flush, especially when it comes to the financial question. Whenever I ask “who will foot the bill?” when it comes to rebuilding Gaza, the assumption is “wealthy Gulf states.” For years, they have shouldered the burden of regional crises, but this is not the 1980s, when Gulf aid and largesse had few stipulations. Today’s Gulf is more business savvy and politically aware, and as a result is unwilling to fund an endless cycle of destruction. There are also views that, as put by former Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al Faisal, Israel must pay for reconstruction. Without holding back on the immediate humanitarian aid which is needed at the moment, the overarching mood in Gulf capitals when it comes to reconstruction is that not a dime should be spent without guarantees that Gaza will never be destroyed again.
While it was impressive that the Arab League managed to achieve consensus in Cairo — at least among the leaders or representatives who attended — its main fault seems to be that it has forgotten the elephant outside the room: Trump.
Washington has made its position clear: It wants Hamas gone. Meanwhile, Israel not only — and understandably — refuses to work with Hamas, but has further complicated things by dismissing any role for the Palestinian Authority, or UNRWA. It’s no surprise that the Israelis almost instantly rejected the proposal.
Despite reaching what looks like a dead end, Trump’s team surprised everyone by announcing it held direct talks with Hamas. The flurry of Arab, Islamic, and international meetings coming up in Saudi Arabia — including a possible visit by the US president to the kingdom in the next few weeks — signal that something could still be cooking.
If any deal is to be made, the Trump administration alone has the leverage to offer Hamas security guarantees, and a way out — to Qatar, Algeria, or elsewhere. Trump may also be the only leader who could pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into accepting a deal. But to do that, Washington needs to be convinced by the Arab plan, which at this stage needs a lot more refining, and a bit more marketing. Efforts to reform, revive, and empower the Palestinian Authority would go a long way, also there needs to be something more glamorous in the plan for Trump or the US; that is ‘the art of the deal’ after all.
In this context. Saudi Arabia has an important role, beyond its traditional ones in religious legitimacy, political clout, and financial ability. Riyadh has a lot to offer Washington, in Gaza and beyond. It can facilitate negotiations with Russia, reach a possible solution with Ukraine, continue to stabilize oil prices, and provide Trump with a crowning achievement: normalizing ties with Israel, if such a deal comes with recognition of Palestinian state.
The stakes are high and time is running out. The longer this drags on, the more Palestinians suffer and the war grinds on. The best hope, for Palestinians and Israel, is that Washington finds elements it can work with in the Arab plan to end the war and rebuild Gaza. And in that context, the Cairo declaration can be seen as a starting point, not a final destination.
Faisal J. Abbas is an award-winning journalist and Editor-in-Chief of Arab News.