Gideon Levy: Israeli Policies in the West Bank Warn of a Repeat of the Gaza Experience

SadaNews - The Israeli writer Gideon Levy considered that Israeli policies in the West Bank warn of a repeat of the Gaza experience, pointing out that reliance on military force alone leads to devastation. In an opinion piece published by Haaretz, Levy addressed U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza, describing it as not a peace agreement, but a deal imposed by the United States on Israel.

However, he sees the plan as a glimmer of hope for stopping the war and saving lives, reflecting the United States' ability to impose its decisions on Israel; without that, the situation will remain stagnant and motionless.

Levy believes that what happened has restored the relations between Washington and Tel Aviv to their normal state, where Israel remains the "client state" and the United States the "superpower."

He alleged that this description of U.S.-Israeli relations has completely faded in recent years, "to the point where it sometimes seemed that Israel was the patron and America its protégé, especially during the presidencies of (Barack) Obama and (Joe) Biden."

He indicated that this agreement would lead to the release of 20 Israeli prisoners, 250 Palestinian prisoners sentenced to life, and 1,800 residents of Gaza held in Israel, most of whom are without trial.

According to the writer, ending the war does not only benefit Gaza but also Israel, which has suffered significant moral and strategic damages, some of which is difficult to rectify.

Despite the devastation "similar to what happened to the Japanese city of Hiroshima" after it was bombed by America with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II, Gaza remained resilient and brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of international attention.

Levy emphasized that the world will not soon forget "the genocide," and that generations will pass before Gaza forgets it, considering that Israel could have avoided the war or ended it differently through direct negotiations with the Islamic resistance movement (Hamas), showing goodwill, adding that perhaps that would have changed the equation.

Furthermore, a complete withdrawal from the strip and the release of all prisoners would have signaled a new beginning, but Israel - he said - chose, as usual, to do only what is imposed on it.

Levy concludes that there is no solace for the residents of Gaza "who have paid an indescribable price, and the world may forget them again," but they are now "in the spotlight."

Despite the devastation "similar to what happened to the Japanese city of Hiroshima" after it was bombed by America with an atomic bomb at the end of World War II, the leftist Israeli writer said that Gaza remained steadfast and brought the Palestinian cause back to the forefront of international attention.

He called for opening the strip to the media so that Israelis can see what they have committed, stating that "perhaps it's futile to cry over spilled milk, but spilled blood is a different matter."

He concluded his article by warning that reliance on military force alone leads to devastation.

Source: Haaretz