During Sunday’s cabinet meeting the ministers discussed a plan promoted by Transport and Intelligence Minister Yisrael Katz to build an artificial island off the Gaza Strip shore, with a seaport and electricity and water facilities to serve the residents of Gaza. Three senior officials briefed on the details of the meeting told Ha’aretz that many of the ministers expressed support for Katz’s initiative, but the program was shelved due to opposition from Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman.
According to Katz, the island will be funded with international donations – to the tune of an estimated $5 billion – and will be connected to the Gaza strip via a heavily secured bridge.
“The Foreign Ministry folks would be able to go around the world and show a positive Israeli initiative to help the most difficult place in the region,” Katz said.
The senior officials told Ha’aretz that in the meeting Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked (both Habayit Hayehudi), Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz (Likud), Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon and Housing Minister Yoav Galant (both Kulanu), supported the Katz initiative. But Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman opposed the plan on security grounds, because did not believe that it allows for an effective inspection system to prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza through the island. Liberman also noted that Israel’s strategy in Gaza must condition the rehabilitation of the Strip on complete disarmament.
Minister Katz said that Chief of Staff Gadi Eizenkot and the entire security apparatus support his initiative for an artificial island opposite Gaza. “When a statesman makes decisions, sometimes he stretches the security boundaries – but here the defense establishment itself supports it, and knows how to secure it, so why not give two million Palestinians a humanitarian, economic and transportation boost that could bring major changes?” Katz said.
Katz noted that building the artificial island would complete Israel’s disengagement from Gaza, which began with the withdrawal of the IDF and some 8,000 Jewish settlers from the strip in 2005. The harbor island would finally remove Israel’s responsibility for the situation there and might prevent a renewed military flare-up. “It’s a solution that will enable significant economic change,” Katz said, adding, “When the economy improves, good things usually happen, and this could normalize the situation in Gaza.”
“If my initiative is accepted, it will have a significant chance to prevent another war,” Katz said, explaining that “it will not change Hamas’ murderous ideology, neither is it a deal with Hamas. It is an attempt to separate the security problem in Gaza from the condition of the civilians over there, who are not the ones who determine policy. We have an opportunity to change the situation there in a safe manner.”
Of course, $5 billion could go a long way in helping the Gazans emigrate to other countries where they will have better lives without Hamas.