MIDDLE EAST FORUM
A Marshall Plan for Gaza Is a Bad Idea
by Efraim Inbar
November 15, 2017

Voices inside and outside the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are advocating for a “Marshall Plan” – a massive international mobilization – for the improvement of Gaza’s living conditions. They believe that an improved Gaza economy will reduce anti-Israel violence, whereas further economic deterioration in Gaza will accelerate the radicalization process resulting in elements more extreme than Hamas taking control. This rationale is faulty on many counts…Second, the belief that greater affluence for Gazan civilians will bring moderation to the Hamas military leadership is naïve. Radical ideology and religious fervor are unlikely to be influenced by the wealth of unarmed civilians. READ MORE