Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu outlined his vision for peace in the Middle East in a Monday op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal. In his article, Netanyahu detailed three critical conditions for achieving peace: the destruction of Hamas, the demilitarization of Gaza, and initiating a deradicalization process within Palestinian society.

Netanyahu asserted that only once these conditions are met, there is potential for rebuilding Gaza and advancing broader peace in the Middle East.

In his advocacy for the destruction of Hamas, Netanyahu emphasized the necessity of this action, citing Hamas leaders’ vows to repeat their brutal Oct. 7 attack. He wrote, “That is why their destruction is the only proportional response to prevent the repeat of such horrific atrocities. Anything less guarantees more war and more bloodshed.”

Netanyahu pledged Israel’s compliance with international law in its efforts to destroy Hamas but highlighted the challenges posed by Hamas’s reported use of Palestinian civilians as human shields. He stressed that Israel endeavors to minimize civilian casualties and argued that unjustly blaming Israel for these casualties only encourages the use of human shields by terrorist organizations.

Regarding the demilitarization of Gaza, Netanyahu suggested that Israel would need to maintain a significant security presence in the area. He dismissed the idea of the Palestinian Authority overseeing Gaza, a proposal put forth by President Biden, instead proposing a temporary security zone around Gaza and a rigorous inspection mechanism on the border with Egypt.

The third condition, deradicalizing Palestinian society, according to Netanyahu, requires change both in leadership and in educational content. He expressed optimism about the possibility of such change, drawing parallels with post-World War II Germany and Japan.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)