Trump relies on Arab capitals to “pacify” Gaza, without the Palestinian voice

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan declared himself “satisfied” with a meeting he deems “fruitful” between Donald Trump and several Arab and Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th UN General Assembly in New York. The objective: to put an end to the War of Israel against Gaza. Trump praised a “successful” meeting with “all the big actors except Israel”. According to leaks reported by Axios, his plan provides for the sending of Arab and Muslim forces to Gaza to facilitate Israeli withdrawal, secure a sustainable truce and finance reconstruction, without role for Hamas. Israel did not participate in the discussions but Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would have been informed.

Participating countries-Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates-have, according to the Emirati Wam agency, insisted on the urgency of a permanent ceasefire, the release of captives and the establishment of massive humanitarian aid to respond to the disaster that strikes the Gazan population.

For many observers, this initiative, however, reveals a contradiction: by bypassing the Palestinian people, Washington seeks above all to secure an exit from the crisis favorable to Israel. The absence of Israel at the discussion table illustrates an imbalance which could weaken the legitimacy of any agreement and nourish the feeling, widely shared in the Arab and Muslim world, that the voice of the Palestinians remains marginalized.