UN Wants $30-40 Billion to Rebuild Gaza — How About Starting With the Arab League and Islamic Conference?
In this episode of We Knew It Was Coming...
As the Israel-Hamas war continues, the United Nations said on Thursday that rebuilding war-torn Gaza will cost an estimated $30 billion to $40 billion and require an effort on a scale unseen since World War II.
UN Assistant Secretary-General Abdallah al-Dardari said the funds should come from "the global community."
The United Nations Development Programme's initial estimates for the reconstruction of... the Gaza Strip surpass $30 billion and could reach up to $40 billion. The scale of the destruction is huge and unprecedented... This is a mission that the global community has not dealt with since World War II.
It could take decades, and the Palestinian people do not have the luxury of waiting for decades. It is therefore important that we act quickly to re-house people in decent housing and restore their lives to normal — economically, socially, in terms of health and education.
"This is our top priority," al-Darari added, "and it must be achieved within the first three years following the cessation of hostilities.
Hold the bus.
Not to sound uncaring, but who is "our"? Who is "we"? Who gets to decide the time frame in which rebuilding Gaza "must be achieved"? More importantly, who should pay for the reconstruction?
If I live in a neighborhood in which residents of another neighborhood sneak in in the middle of the night and commit unspeakable atrocities against some of my neighbors; and if the neighborhood where those who committed those atrocities live has provided safe haven to the attackers for decades, why shouldn't that neighborhood pony up to rebuild the street on which the attackers live?
This Brings Us to the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference
In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on November 11, 2023, Arab and Muslim leaders put aside their differences to present a rare united front— a united front to condemn Israel's retaliatory war against Hamas in Gaza.
Here's more:
The sudden return of the Palestinian issue to Arab and Muslim consciousness, and the wait-and-see attitude of the Western countries, which are locked in unconditional support for Israel, called for a strong response on their part.
Nevertheless, the old fractures running through the Middle East remain, preventing the articulation of a common vision for ending the war and drawing up a diplomatic horizon for "what comes next."
[...]
With one voice, dozens of Arab and Muslim leaders issued a final declaration condemning "the Israeli aggression against the Gaza Strip, the war crimes and the barbaric and inhuman massacres perpetrated by the government of occupation."
In other words, Arab Muslims and non-Arab Muslims took a minute to condemn Israel for retaliating against an Islamist extremist group that tortured and massacred Israeli men, women, and children— then intentionally failed to draw up a post-war solution for their brethren in Gaza.
Think that through, UN fans.
Back to the United Nations
Assistant Secretary-General Abdallah al-Dardari continued to try to make the case that the global community should foot the bill to rebuild Gaza.
We are talking about a colossal figure, and this figure is increasing every day. ... 72 percent of all residential buildings have been completely or partially destroyed.
Reconstruction must be planned carefully, efficiently and with extreme flexibility because we do not know how the war will end.
The Bottom Line
Perhaps Mr. al-Dardardi and his UN pals should spend even more time thinking about what type of post-war governance should be established in Gaza after Israel rightfully completes its job of destroying Hamas.
That, and hitting up the Arab League and the Organization of the Islamic Conference for the $30-40 billion.
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