Gaza's New "Temporary" Port. Cui Bono?
Critical questions about this new operation, under the guise of "humanitarian aid".
Yesterday the US Central Command tweeted and reported on the official commencement of the new temporary pier off the coast of Gaza. The Pentagon says this floating pier that will be used for bringing more aid into Gaza will cost about $320 million. The system is called Joint Logistics Over-the-Shore, or JLOTS.
This was no surprise as it was already announced 1-2 months ago on US and Israeli media. After tens of years of Israel refusing to build a port in Gaza, all of a sudden now, this is happening pretty smoothly, led by the US and with Israel’s support.
Video from March 2024, source: IDF
The narrative is “HUMANITARIAN AID”. Of course.
First we destroy, then we provide aid. How appropriate.
My Questions
In light of this operation, I am left with many questions, most of them I can answer for myself, but surely the true answers would not be revealed, at least not any time soon, and not by those who are supposed to answer them.
Yet, I ask:
► Was building a port + setting up a Palestinian state the goal all along, and they needed Oct. 7th and all the other horrific events to justify it to the Israeli public and the world?
► If their plan was normalising a peace treaty and setting up a Palestinian state - why was this their distorted way to “sell it” to the world?
► Would this port be used to make it easier to “steal” marine natural gas and oil reserves? (see more about this below)
► Will this port assist in "voluntary" migration/displacement of Gazans to Europe/elsewhere - out of the reach of Egypt (via Rafah crossing)?
Note that Israel wants more control and claims Rafah is where weapons are being smuggled from Egypt.
► Is this port the first of many new infrastructure projects in Gaza, which will be owned and led by whom? Cui bono?
► Can this be related to the Ben Gurion Canal project? - see more below.
► Since when a port is mandatory for humanitarian aid? There are at least four crossings from which aid can enter from Israel to the Gaza strip.
Perhaps this is related, and perhaps not: there have been some protests - such as this one last night - to block aid trucks from entering Gaza in support of the Israeli hostages. While I’m of course praying for the return of the hostages, I’m still being critical about this point: I have participated in protests in the past where the police dismantled the protests without a problem. How come now they are allowed? Especially when some of these protests - such as the one last night - are happening in areas that have been announced as closed military zones. Yet, protests are not being dispersed.
Follow The Money
Mind you, a 2019 study by the United Nations Conference on Trade & Development [UNCTAD] identified existing & potential natural gas reserves in the West Bank & Gaza, estimated in net value of $4.592 billion, and oil reserves estimated in net value of $63.2 billion - see page 25 of the report.
The Ben Gurion Canal Project
► Can this new temporary port be related to this shelved project?
The Ben Gurion Canal Project was an artificial canal project proposed by Israel in 1956-1963. It would have been a shipping canal connecting the Gulf of Aqaba with the Mediterranean Sea as an alternative to the Suez Canal. The canal would have rivaled the Suez Canal which runs through Egypt and has had many disturbances in its history, such as the Israeli blockade across the Suez Canal and the Strait of Tiran , the two closures of the Suez Canal (1956-1957 and 1967 -1975 respectively) or, more recently, and the Suez Canal Blockage of 2021. Notably, three of the four obstructions were caused by a conflict in which Israel was involved. It would be almost a third longer than the 193.3 km Suez Canal, at around 292.9 km. It is estimated that the cost of creating the canal would have ranged between $16 and $55 billion dollars. (From Wikipedia)
Bepi Pezzulli, a solicitor specialised in International financial law and a foreign policy scholar, writes in The Times of Israel (Feb 2024): “Amidst the persistent turmoil engulfing Gaza, an ambitious vision conceived over six decades ago has reappeared in the public discourse, seizing attention and sparking debates on regional geopolitics and economic strategy. Born in the aftermath of the Suez Crisis of 1956, the notion of the Ben Gurion Canal resurfaces today, offering a tantalizing glimpse into a future where maritime trade and regional dynamics in the Middle East undergo profound transformation. The 1963 concept paper by Howard D. MacCabee has remained classified for 30 years. Despite its release in 1996, it flew under the radar.”
“…Back in the 60s, the realization of the Ben Gurion Canal faced formidable challenges, including opposition from the USA and logistical hurdles inherent in such a grandiose undertaking. The proposed use of nuclear explosives for excavation, as detailed in a declassified memorandum from the US Department of Energy, illustrated the audacity of the project and the complexities involved in its implementation. Today, as the Middle East grapples with mounting geopolitical strains and the spectre of broader conflict looms, the discourse surrounding the Ben Gurion Canal assumes renewed significance. Given the crucible of contemporary crises, the time may be ripe to revisit the transformative potential of the Ben Gurion Canal.”
Humanitarian Aid
Meanwhile, the IDF / Israel has embarked on a marketing campaign to win some (international) votes by showing the world how hard the US & Israel are working to provide aid:
Meanwhile in the US
And while the Israeli theatre is playing, the US theatre is acting out nicely too: Secretary Lloyd Austin admits likelihood of shooting warfare between U.S. service members and Gaza forces soon:
Gaetz: “This is a very telling moment, Mr. Secretary, because you've said something that's quite possible that could happen. Shots from Gaza on our service members, and then the response, our armed service members shooting live fire into Gaza. That is a possible outcome here so that we can become the Port Authority and run this pier, right?”
Secretary of Defense Austin: “That's correct.”
In Conclusion
In light of all these pieces of information, combined with a hint of critical thinking, I’m left with the feeling that Israel and the US are setting the scene to a reality in which building a port is necessary. It’s “the only way to progress, we have no other choice” - kind of approach, which to me is a red light. I am left with the frustrating opinion that many of the events and atrocities we’ve witnessed in the past 7 months were a precursor to the outcomes we’re discovering now - and this “temporary” port is one of them. Why exactly? I guess we’ll find out in the not too distant future.
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That’s it for now, from the Truman Show aka Israel.
Love, light & sanity,
Efrat ♥️
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Thank you Efrat for this brillant analysis. I love your moto "The Truman Show aka Israel". Mine might soon be "The Rocky Horror Picture Show aka Israel first then the rest of the world" !
Best regards from France (another kind of shit show).