Sunni Arab World at Bahrain told Palestinians, Iran is the Priority – Beyond the Matrix [audio]

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Rod Reuven Dovid Bryant and Jerry Gordon bring back Dan Diker to comment on the “Peace through Prosperity” proposals of the Trump Administration at the Bahrain conference and the simultaneous US, Russia and Israel Trilateral Security Summit in Jerusalem. Diker is the Director of the Program to Counter Political Warfare at the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs (JCPA). He is a former Secretary General of the World Jewish Congress. He is the editor and co-author of Defeating Denormalization—Shared Palestinian and Israeli Perspectives on a New Path to Peace, (2018).
The bottom line is that the post Oslo meme of “peace runs through Jerusalem” is dead and buried. That the Palestinian revolutionary program of 1974 seeking the destruction of Israel has failed. That only a secure Israel can achieve peace for a sovereign Palestinian entity as demonstrated by the 20- year record of economic success of the 14 industrial zones in Area C under Israel security control and law. Diker’s team at the JCPA documented that track record in Defeating Denormalization, based on reports from both Israelis and Palestinians involved in those industrial zones established by Anatoly Sharansky. Diker briefed the Trump Middle East peace team on the JCPA report findings over a year ago. Nir Barkat, Former Jerusalem Mayor recently proposed adding another 12 industrial zones in Area C to “complement the Trump Economic Plan”. Further, Diker suggests that the Trump “peace through Prosperity Plan” could benefit from the Israeli model experience. The $50 billion Trump economic plan Diker considers “the opportunity of the Century” for the Middle East region. It would create an estimated 1 million jobs for Egyptians, Palestinians and Jordanians. The Plan offers a radical economic shift in the region according to Diker. Glenn Hubbard, Columbia University Graduate School of Business Dean and Bush Economic Adviser called it a Middle East Marshall Plan as it emphasizes private business and not charity access to create jobs. A major problem is the PA is a corrupt fascist kleptocracy. Diker noted two Palestinian business leaders from Hebron, who attended the Bahrain conference, were arrested by Palestinian security upon their return accused of sedition. They were only released through the intervention of US Special Envoy Jason Greenblatt. Diker suggests the Plan needs the “first world” experience and security of Israel to achieve its goals. That was reflected in comments of the Bahrain Foreign Minister and presence at the conference of 7 Arab countries and emirates, including Qatar. The only fly in the ointment is the infrastructure proposal building a corridor between Gaza and the West Bank. The experience post Oslo when Gazans travelled to work in the West Bank was outright rejection by West Bank clans and families. There are no natural links between the two groups. Illustrative of that was the Israel withdrawal from Gaza in 2005 that saw an internecine war in Gaza and increased terrorism. Diker considers the corridor proposal a dead letter. The simultaneous US, Israel, Russia trilateral summit in Jerusalem was linked to the Bahrain conference. It was used as an occasion by Israeli PM Netanyahu to demonstrate that secure and defensible borders is paramount for Israel. A helicopter ride with US National Security Adviser Bolton demonstrated the insecurity of the narrow nine-mile waist of Israel and the necessity of strategic control of the Judean Samarian hills as a barrier against incursions by terrorists and Iranian proxies.
He views Trump’s approach to North Korea’s Kim as reflective of a Machiavellian strategy that Arab leaders see directed at Iran: carry out a ‘full court press’ while keeping the door open for discussions.