Katz orders IOF intelligence chief reprimand over Trump comments
4 Min Read
The Israeli security minister was quick to act against what he believed was the IOF intelligence chief's "criticism" of the plan.
-
Former Israeli Transportation Minister Israel Katz attends the cabinet meeting at the Prime Minister's office in occupied al-Quds, on February 17, 2019. (AP)
Israeli media reported that Israeli Security Minister Israel Katz instructed outgoing IOF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi to reprimand the head of the Military Intelligence Directorate after a TV report cited Maj. Gen. Shlomi Binder warning about the repercussions of US President Donald Trump’s plans for Gaza.
Channel 13 news revealed that during an assessment of Trump's proposal to displace the residents of Gaza and rebuild the Strip, Binder cautioned that the plan could trigger an escalation of operations in the West Bank, especially with the upcoming Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The report explained that Binder did not oppose Trump’s plans but only warned about the potential repercussions.
In a statement, Katz said, “There will be no reality in which IDF officers will speak out against US President Trump’s important plan regarding Gaza, and against the directives of the political echelon,” despite the Channel 13's report saying that he expressed no criticism of the plan.
He added, “I ordered the IDF to prepare to advance the plan for the voluntary departure of Gaza residents who would be interested in leaving to various places in the world, and that is exactly what the IDF is required to do and will do."
How feasible or acceptable is Trump's Gaza plan?
Israeli political leaders are expressing their support for Trump and his plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza amid global condemnation, considering it something that will positively impact the Middle East.
"[Trump] is acting as a messenger of God for the Jewish people," said Aryeh Deri, leader of the Israeli Shas political party. "You are acting as a messenger of God for the Jewish people, and you have achieved great success because of your steadfast stand on the right side of the people of Israel against all its enemies," he added.
The extremist former Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir expressed similar enthusiasm, saying this is the start of a "beautiful friendship".
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich welcomed Trump's plan, asserting that it will bring "significant political change in the region." Both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have previously pushed for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, going as far as proposing bills.
"I think it is something that could change history, and it is worthwhile really pursuing this idea," Netanyahu noted, calling Trump's plan remarkable.
In contrast, the arab affairs analyst at Yedioth Ahronoth argued that Trump's plans to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza could be a "gimmick" that displays his "out-of-the-box" thinking, but it's not a realistic plan especially when no Palestinian factions agree to it.
Trump's plan for the "voluntary emigration" of Palestinians created a new fantasy in "Israel", the news website added.
Many Israelis "want to see Gaza leveled to the ground, the Palestinians disappearing, and the Strip, which was a beehive for the Israeli army for decades, becoming a prosperous American Riviera," as reported by Ynet, "It's a real dream, it has one caveat however, it is not realistic, impossible, and implausible to implement."
The newspaper went on to add, "There is no Palestinian entity that will agree to cooperate with Trump's plan for migration or transfer, especially since any mention of migration or departure immediately aligns with the greatest collective catastrophe of the Palestinian people – the Nakba of 1948."
