Meir Ben Shabbat: The United States is Israel’s most important ally, and it has played a central role in the achievements of the war and in efforts to shape the regional reality that follows it. Nevertheless, there is a danger in an approach that seeks to predetermine the political outcome of the war before its security objectives have been achieved. United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, which adopted the framework of President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza, refers to the possibility of the Palestinian Authority returning to govern the Strip after reforms, and even to opening a pathway to a Palestinian state. For Israel, these are not merely matters of diplomatic wording. They could create a process in which international pressure replaces the demand for genuine change.
Israel must make clear that it will not agree to transferring security responsibility in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority or any variation of it—and certainly will not agree, under any circumstances, to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Precisely because the United States and Israel are close allies, they need an honest dialogue in which Israel presents the lessons of October 7 and the red lines that follow.
The full interview was published in the Middle East Forum on October 27, 2026.
*The opinions expressed in Misgav publications are the authors’ alone.
