Jeffrey Sachs considers Trump's Middle East plan a ruse. He says the funding of Hamas is a dirty little secret that no one dares to reveal.
The 21-point plan proposed by President Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to end the war between Israel and Hamas has so far not been accepted by the terrorist group. Hamas representatives are demanding changes to clauses in the plan, including those concerning their own disarmament, according to the AFP news agency. Hamas negotiators held talks with Turkish, Egyptian, and Qatari representatives in Doha yesterday, according to AFP.
Meanwhile, the Israeli government continues its advance in Gaza. Israeli troops are close to completely encircling Gaza City, according to Defense Minister Israel Katz. According to the Times of Israel, he said this is "the last opportunity for Gazans who want to move south and leave Hamas terrorists isolated in Gaza City." He said that those who remain in Gaza City will be "terrorists and supporters of terrorism."
Pressure on Israel increases
International pressure on Israel continues to mount. Companies that work with Israel are also coming under pressure. The largest Dutch pension fund, ABP, has reportedly divested itself of its stake in the US manufacturing company Caterpillar after concerns arose about Israel's alleged use of the company's equipment in the Gaza Strip. In August, Norway's sovereign wealth fund—the world's largest, valued at nearly $2 trillion—sold its stake in Caterpillar due to its alleged involvement in human rights violations in the war between Israel and Hamas.
Jeffrey Sachs: Germany should recognize Palestine
The Berliner Zeitung spoke with economist and diplomat Jeffrey Sachs about Trump's 21-point plan. Sachs recently participated in the UN General Assembly in New York, among other events.
Mr. Sachs, what do you think of the Trump-Netanyahu plan for Gaza?
It's not a real peace plan. The only true peace plan is the one approved by the UN General Assembly on the basis of the New York Declaration. This peace plan envisions a Palestinian state. The Trump-Netanyahu plan sidesteps this issue.
Hamas is being asked to surrender and, in return, is promised to be excluded from any role in Palestine. Why should it agree?
Since the agreement does not include a commitment to a Palestinian state, Hamas could reject the agreement. There is no political advantage.
If they agree, what does that tell us about Hamas?
Let's see what they say.
Who financed Hamas in the past?
Qatar, at Netanyahu's insistence. That's the dirty little secret everyone knows, but no one in Germany, the US, or anywhere else in Europe talks about.
Isn't the plan simply an ultimatum to Hamas, and if they don't agree, Netanyahu has the green light to do whatever he wants?
Yes, that may be true. The US does what Israel says. Netanyahu dictates to Trump, not the other way around.
The political perspective is not statehood, but a protectorate . Could that be a solution—is it at least better for the Palestinians than mass killing, as is happening now?
That's not a solution. It's a continuation of the long-standing colonization supported and protected by the US and Great Britain.
What key elements would a state have to fulfill under international law?
The UN Security Council has repeatedly determined that Palestine meets the criteria for a state. Nevertheless, the United States has vetoed Palestine's membership in the UN.
The UN criteria are: permanent population; borders as of June 4, 1967; government within the Palestinian Authority; diplomatic recognition by and with other states (now more than 150); and, finally, the ability and willingness to implement the UN Charter.
What would true statehood require?
The first prerequisite is a functioning government and a state that is not controlled by the US and Israel, as is currently the case. Israel controls taxes, currency, movement of people, security, and much more. Therefore, the State of Palestine is still only a shadow of sovereignty. Israel is violating international law.
Why are all Arab states partly to blame for the plight of the Palestinians?
The Arab neighbors want an end to the mass starvation in Gaza and hope that this would be a step toward a true state. However, this could prove to be wishful thinking. Israel will do everything in its power to prevent a Palestinian state, and the US will most likely fully support Israel, even though the American people overwhelmingly want US recognition of a Palestinian state.
What could China or Russia do?
All countries except Israel and the United States should support Palestine's membership in the UN and urge the United States to withdraw its terrible veto. Palestine's UN membership should be raised again in the UN Security Council. Should the United States veto it again, the issue should be addressed by the UN General Assembly. Based on an overwhelming vote for statehood in the UN General Assembly, countries that recognize Palestine should negotiate with the Palestinian Authority as the government of a sovereign state. Israel and the United States should not have the right to veto international law and the will of the international community. In this regard, China and Russia should join the global consensus.
What should the German government do?
The German government should immediately recognize the State of Palestine . Germany's history does not require Germany's blind support of Israel, but rather Germany's passionate opposition at all costs to genocide, including the genocide Israel is now committing against the Palestinian people.
The supreme body is to be a "peace board," where a few "managers," or oligarchs, will pocket millions in "management" fees for ruling over a people to which they do not belong. Have you ever heard of such a concept? Why would the UN Security Council approve this plan?
The worst part is Tony Blair. Bringing back the British, who caused all this chaos, is shameful and shameless. Also, remember that Blair was a staunch supporter of the Iraq War, which demonstrates his extraordinarily poor and biased judgment regarding the Middle East.
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff said the plan could also serve as a blueprint for Ukraine—so could we see a "peace council" there, too, with Trump and Putin as chairmen and their respective oligarch friends taking power in Ukraine?
That's too absurd to contemplate.
Do we see the demise of diplomacy as a path to conflict resolution?
We are witnessing a great deal of bullying by the US and the failure—or even lack—of European diplomacy. If Germany wants to play a constructive role, it should not be through war, but through German and European diplomacy with Russia, the Arab countries, China, and others. We are not seeing such diplomacy at the moment