Former Israel Navy commander Maj.-Gen. (res.) Eliezer “Cheney” Marom blasted President Donald Trump’s proposed 21-point plan to end the Gaza war, warning it would return Israel to the failed conditions of 2005 and ultimately allow Hamas to reassert control.
“This entire plan is a throwback to 2005,” Marom said in a Sunday radio interview on 103FM. “We’re looking at a scenario where Gaza would be governed by technocrats. It’s essentially a disguise for reinstating the Palestinian Authority. Hamas will bide its time, then start shooting their replacements in the knees.”
Trump unveiled his proposal at the United Nations General Assembly last week, pitching Arab leaders on what he billed as a path to peace in the region.
Marom said that recovering the remaining Israeli hostages should be Israel’s immediate priority. “If we can bring back the hostages, that would be a major achievement. I would sign on that with my eyes closed,” he said. But he was skeptical of Trump’s broader framework, noting it contained no provisions to disarm or deport Hamas fighters.
“With our current method, we won’t achieve a different outcome in Gaza,” Marom said. “Hamas does not surrender. It won’t raise a white flag.”
Marom offered a blunt assessment of Israel’s military campaign, now in its second year. He said the IDF performed “reasonably well” on the battlefield but failed on the legal and humanitarian fronts, where international legitimacy has nearly evaporated. “We’re running on reserves — and those reserves depend on one man sitting in the White House,” he said of Trump, calling the president “unpredictable” and warning that Israel’s dependence on a single leader is “not reasonable.”
“Who would have believed Israel could sustain legitimacy for such a prolonged campaign without being stopped?” he asked. “In other wars, it was a matter of days or weeks.”
Marom also addressed a bizarre episode last week when loudspeakers were set up along the Gaza border to broadcast Netanyahu’s UN speech. Critics claimed the move endangered soldiers, while the Prime Minister’s Office denied ordering the deployment.
“It was a foolish incident like no other — just a media gimmick,” Marom said. “If I were a commander, I would have asked for it in writing. Either way, no one would have heard those speakers. It meant nothing.”
Marom placed his confidence in current IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir, calling him “a backbone leader” who understands the limits of Israel’s strategy.
“The government suddenly shifted direction,” he said. “The goal is no longer to defeat Hamas militarily — we’ve already done that. The goal now is to force its surrender. But anyone who understands jihadist Islamist organizations knows that’s not realistic.”
Ultimately, he suggested, Israel’s fate in Gaza may rest in Washington. “In the end, Netanyahu has no choice,” Marom said. “If Trump says ‘it’s over,’ then it’s over. That’s the end of it.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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One Response
How can anyone say that the IDF performed “reasonably well” on the battlefield when 900 soldiers lost their lives?? Did the leader(s) of Israel consult Daas Torah before going to war? What did we achieve with this war? We lost 900 soldiers, the world accuses us of genocide, and the hostages are still in captivity. This war doesn’t make sense at all.
Pidyon Shevuim should have been our top priority from the start.