The wrong way to help Gazans

Creating an artificial island won’t end Israel’s blockade of the coastal Palestinian enclave

A Palestinian boy sits under an umbrella at the beach of Gaza City.Khalil Hamra / AP Photo

Israel Katz, a member of Israel’s right-wing Likud Party and minister of transport and ports, is trying to recycle an old idea as a new peace initiative. Over the past decade, various Israeli lawmakers have toyed with the idea of creating an artificial island off the coast of Gaza. Mr Katz has been at the forefront of the debate, arguing that such an island could contain vital infrastructure such as a seaport and an airport that would open Gaza to the world. It could also be a place for future Palestinian settlement.

Across party lines, every Israeli government has invested handsomely in the colonisation of Palestine. From entrenching the military occupation of the West Bank through continued Israeli settlement building to enacting legislation that makes purchasing land in Israel as a Palestinian citizen of the country nearly impossible, the Israeli government has sought to maintain its hold on the land and slowly push the native inhabitants off. The creation of an artificial island off the coast of Gaza, where Palestinians could be relocated, would follow Israel’s logic of conquest.

While the island idea was previously relegated to internal parliament and military discussions (where it is strongly supported), Mr Katz has rebranded the idea as a sort of peace initiative. Now he is looking for a partner to fund the $5 billion project. Without a trace of irony, the Israeli government is marketing the island as an act of goodwill designed to alleviate the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza.

Implicit in the rebranding of the island is the understanding that Israel controls the destiny of Gaza, and no one else. There are simple measures that could be taken in the short-term that don’t require billions of dollars to help Gazans. One such measure that would have a dramatic impact on the well-being of Gazans would be the extension of the fishing zone enforced by the Israeli navy for Palestinian fishermen.

The blockage on goods and the movement of Palestinians could also be eased without the creation of an island that could be used for resettlement purposes in the future. At the end of the day, Mr Katz’s island would simply entrench Israel’s control over Gaza, not the reverse.