As Israel\u2019s relentless military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon show no signs of abating, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s far-right coalition is openly advocating for the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This raises a critical question for the Middle East: What will the Arab and regional powers do in the face of such aggression?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt and Jordan, two of the most pivotal nations in the region, stand as key players in this unfolding drama. Both nations face immense pressure from Israel\u2019s strategic attempts to expel Palestinians from their homeland. Netanyahu\u2019s rhetoric around annexation increasingly suggests a broader agenda: the eviction of Palestinians from Gaza into Egypt and from the West Bank into Jordan, ultimately creating a so-called \u201cGreater Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Egypt\u2019s Staunch Stance
In the wake of Israel\u2019s extensive bombardment of Gaza, Egypt demonstrated its resolve by refusing to open its borders to Palestinian refugees fleeing the devastation. This decision, though controversial, reflects Cairo\u2019s recognition of a long-term threat: any refugee exodus from Gaza into Egypt could become permanent, mirroring historical patterns of displacement. Egypt\u2019s refusal has been a critical blow to Israel\u2019s ambitions of emptying Gaza of its Palestinian population.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Role of Jordan
Similarly, Jordan, home to a substantial Palestinian population, faces the risk of being pressured to absorb even more displaced Palestinians. For decades, Jordan has balanced its role as a safe haven for refugees with the imperative to preserve its stability. However, succumbing to such pressures now would effectively enable Israel\u2019s goal of territorial expansion at the expense of Palestinian sovereignty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Unified Arab and Muslim Front
The importance of collective action cannot be overstated. Under Saudi Arabia\u2019s leadership, a recent Arab and Muslim summit condemned Israel\u2019s actions and reaffirmed the Palestinian people\u2019s right to statehood and dignity. This united front must evolve into concrete support for Egypt and Jordan, ensuring they resist any external pressure to accommodate more Palestinian refugees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
History offers a stark lesson. The mass evictions of 1948 and 1967 created generations of stateless Palestinians, denied the right to return to their homes. The region cannot afford to repeat this tragic cycle. Allowing further displacement would not only undermine Palestinian aspirations for sovereignty but also destabilize neighboring countries and the wider region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Regional Turning Point
The decisions made by Arab and Islamic states today will shape the region\u2019s future for decades to come. The time has come for a firm and unified stand against Israel\u2019s expansionist policies. Supporting Egypt and Jordan in resisting any moves to expel Palestinians is not merely a moral imperative but a geopolitical necessity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The stakes are clear: either the region allows unchecked Israeli expansionism or it collectively pushes for a framework that prioritizes justice, stability, and sustainable peace. The choice lies with the leaders and nations of the Middle East.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With no signs that Israel\u2019s onslaughts against Gaza and Lebanon will relent any time soon and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s extremist coalition calling for the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, countries in the Middle East should band together. Two of the most important countries in this fight are Egypt and Jordan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The question is, what are Arabs and the countries in the region going to do?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When Netanyahu and his crowd of zealots mention annexation, they probably have eviction in mind. The eviction of Palestinians is a plan that Israel has regularly touted during its Gaza campaign. However, Egypt was firm and did not allow Palestinians to cross into Sinai. Egypt knows full well that, if the Gazans left for Egypt as refugees, they would never go back. Therefore, Israel\u2019s plan to vacate the Palestinians from Gaza did not work, despite the massive bombardment, the genocide and the decapitation of the Hamas leadership. When Netanyahu and his crowd of zealots mention annexation, they probably have eviction in mind<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Netanyahu is emboldened. He feels he is closer to achieving the dream of kicking the Palestinians out of Palestine and creating a \u201cGreater Israel\u201d from the river to the sea. In order to achieve that, he needs to evict the Palestinians of Gaza into Egypt and the Palestinians of the West Bank into Jordan. Hence, it is key that both these countries hold their ground. This is why the entire Arab and Muslim worlds should support them. They are the first line of defense against the extremist Zionist project that Netanyahu is leading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
There are glimpses of hope that the region will take a unified stand against this hideous expansionist project. Under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh last week hosted an Arab and Muslim summit to discuss Gaza. The Kingdom condemned Israel for conducting a genocide against the Palestinian people. The summit reiterated the Palestinian people\u2019s right to statehood and a dignified life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This unified front should materialize in supporting both Jordan and Egypt. It is important to make sure they do not succumb to any pressure to open their borders and allow evictions from Gaza or the West Bank.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Recent history shows us that Palestinians who leave are never allowed to go back. Any eviction will mean more generations of refugees. Palestinians and the Arab states have learned the lessons of 1948 and 1967. The coming year should not be one of another mass eviction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The silver lining is that President-elect Donald Trump is not afraid to take firm positions on issues<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The countries that will bear the brunt of the pressure will be Jordan and Egypt. However, Arab and Islamic states should put their foot down. They should explain that another wave of Palestinian refugees will not be tolerated. They will not accept another wave of refugees in return for some perks from the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The silver lining is that President-elect Donald Trump is not afraid to take firm positions on issues. If he sees that Netanyahu\u2019s approach will not work and might lead to a regional conflict, he will look for another way. Trump is more likely to pressure and be firm with Netanyahu than Joe Biden or Kamala Harris.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the time to give Egypt and Jordan maximum support to hold their ground, so that they can resist any pressure from Israel to accept refugees. Arab and Islamic states should realize that the decisions they make today will affect many generations to come. The region is at a junction. We either allow Israel unbridled expansionism or stand together and establish a framework for a sustainable peace.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
As Israel\u2019s relentless military campaigns in Gaza and Lebanon show no signs of abating, Prime…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1471,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[270],"class_list":["post-1468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion","tag-a-call-for-resistance-against-annexation"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1468"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1472,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1468\/revisions\/1472"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1471"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thestatemonitor.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}