At the same time, there is opportunity for Netanyahu in the chaos
Israel’s demands for Gaza — Hamas leaders in exile, its fighters disarmed and a new international consortium overseeing the Strip — may suddenly seem reasonable and desirable to regional players compared to Trump’s suggestion
Moreover, the prime minister can curry favor in Egypt and Jordan if he quietly moves Trump away from the expulsion idea
Even if the plan is a nonstarter, it could have another important benefit
Trump isn’t afraid of challenging conventions and forcing leaders to disabuse themselves of old, tired notions
1. Moving Gazans to Arab countries might not work 2. but neither will ending the war while Hamas remains the strongest force in Gaza
New ideas are needed for Gaza and for the Palestinian issue in general
Trump might be detached from reality in the region but his willingness to move beyond decades-old failed ideas could open the debate to novel approaches to the Palestinian issue, a challenge in desperate need of creative solutions in the coming years
