Gaza's Carceral Future: Who Profits?
NPR reports on the Biden administration's proposal to have Arab states and the European Union train a new police force for Gaza, a key component of its 'Day After' plan following the ongoing assault. This approach, supposedly aimed at fostering stability, immediately raises questions about accountability and genuine self-determination for Palestinians. This isn't a novel concept, but a well-worn
playbook for external intervention. We need only look to Afghanistan, where after two decades and billions of dollars, the Western-trained security forces dissolved almost instantly in 2021. Or consider the 2003 invasion of Iraq, where the U.S. disbanded the existing security apparatus, creating a power vacuum that fueled a protracted insurgency. These efforts rarely lead to genuine, lasting
security for the populace; instead, they often serve to install compliant local forces amenable to foreign policy interests. The emphasis on an externally funded and trained 'police force' avoids the core issue: the destruction of Gaza's civil infrastructure, the displacement of its population, and the ongoing occupation. A truly independent Palestinian security apparatus would require a sovereign
Palestinian state, a concept consistently undermined by the very powers now proposing this 'solution.' The current proposal, much like previous attempts to manage Palestinian affairs, prioritizes control over liberation, effectively creating a carceral subcontractor rather than a genuine security solution. Readers should recognize this as another iteration of managing the symptoms, not curing the