February 28, 2024

Jon Stewart says the Israel-Gaza solution could be a DMZ governed by an Arab NATO. Some experts say it's a pipe dream.

Source: Business Insider

Journalist: Matthew Loh

"Every American administration going back decades has discussed some version of this. Under Trump, it was the Middle East Strategic Alliance," said Jonathan Lord, director of the Middle East Security program at the Center for a New American Security, a Washington, DC-based think tank.

Lord said that distrust among Gulf nations unwilling to share their military secrets has largely scuppered much hope for such an organization.

"But really, Jon is conflating a Middle East 'NATO' with something else. You wouldn't need a formal alliance of Arab states to do what he is proposing," Lord added.

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Yet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has opposed the two-state solution. Ironically, the very concept of the two-state solution could extend his political life, said Lord.

"A vast majority of Israelis want Bibi gone at the first opportunity, but Bibi can turn to an Israeli public that is shocked and traumatized from Hamas' October 7th attack and tell it that he alone can rebuff Washington's effort to build a 'terrorist Arab state on our border,'" Lord said.

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Still, if Gaza continues to suffer under the heel of Israel's military and policies, Hamas will continue to fill its ranks with desperate Palestinians, Lord said. Creating a "METO" would be a "day-after" solution when governments are concerned with the "day-between" situation, he said.

"Until someone can produce a viable plan to provide security, services, and aid to 2 million displaced Gazans right now, Israel will not achieve its goal of defeating Hamas," Lord said.

Read the full story and more from Business Insider.

Author

  • Jonathan Lord

    Senior Fellow and Director, Middle East Security Program

    Jonathan Lord is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Middle East Security program at CNAS. Prior to joining CNAS, Lord served as a professional staff member for the House Arme...