OPINION:
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While the chasm between the pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian camps is yawning and often considered irreconcilable, there is one central point most people agree on: Hamas’ leadership in Gaza needs to come to an end.
In a hyperpolarized world where we can’t even agree on basic facts and realities, this consensus has been glossed over. Once the war winds down, the next chapter of the Gaza Strip will need to be written without Hamas in charge, and with the help of our Arab allies.
If there is any clear takeaway from the Oct. 7 massacre and the subsequent war, it is that there can be no sustained peace with Hamas in power in any part of the Palestinian territories. Regardless of where all parties stand on this complex political situation, a Hamas-free future is now widely accepted as necessary and inevitable in the region.
When Hamas terrorists broke the border fence of a sovereign nation and massacred Israeli civilians in what was the largest Jewish pogrom of our time, they signed their own political death warrant with Israel, their Arab allies, and most of the international community.
Our intermediary and former World Cup host Qatar has recognized that the clock is ticking on Hamas’ political viability, and leadership in Gaza is no longer tenable. While Qatar hosted much of Hamas’ leadership for years, that small nation is far more concerned about its reputation in America, especially in Congress.
Over Christmas, Qatari mediators helped Egypt try to negotiate the end of Hamas’ leadership in exchange for a permanent cease-fire. While the peace deal was rejected by the terrorists holding Israeli hostages, these diplomatic overtures reveal that there is a collective vision among Middle Eastern countries for a Gaza without Hamas.
Qatar and Egypt are not alone. Allies and foes of Israel alike are signaling that they are ready to turn the page and usher in new leadership in Gaza. Polling throughout the Arab world highlights that the overwhelming majority of citizens of these countries reject political violence. In the post-Arab Spring Middle East, there is no longer an appetite for terrorist regimes.
Under Hamas, Palestinians have been used as pieces on a chessboard to provoke a series of foreign proxy wars with Israel. Billions of dollars have been funneled to a corrupt leadership that used the money to build weapons, dig tunnels, and rule with an iron fist, simultaneously enriching the leaders at the top. All the while, Palestinians have endured deplorable living conditions and are forced to suffer the devastating and life-ending consequences of Hamas’ illegitimate leadership causes.
In a post-Abraham Accords world, most Arab countries now understand that peace, coexistence and mutual understanding with Israelis don’t have to come at the cost of supporting the Palestinian cause. Those accords codified the long-standing sentiment that the Jewish state and the Arab powers share many of the same interests, marking a triumph of economic concerns over ideology.
It is now time for our allies in the Arab world to help chart the course for a postwar Gaza without Hamas. The future of Palestinians in Gaza depends on it. This is why we created Free Gazans, an educational nonprofit dedicated to publicizing facts about how Hamas has harmed the Palestinian people.
While it may be uncomfortable for American and Middle Eastern political leaders to draw lines in the sand, we need to remind the world that Hamas has played a key role in taking Palestinian people hostage and will continue to do so until it is removed.
Any sort of agreement that keeps Hamas in power is wholly unacceptable and antithetical to the interest of the Palestinian people, the Israeli state, the Arab world, and the international community at large.
• David Grasso is a San Francisco-based journalist and television commentator with a Master of Public Policy from the Harvard Kennedy School. He serves as the spokesperson for Free Gazans, which can be reached at www.freegazans.com.
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