Opposition leader Yair Lapid spoke on Tuesday at an FDD think tank conference in Washington and presented a plan that complements the Trump plan for the day after the war in Gaza.
Lapid presented the plan to senior members of the Trump administration in the White House and senior senators during his visit to the US
Lapid listed two problems that threaten Israel’s southern border: "1. The world needs a new solution for the Gaza Strip: Israel cannot agree to Hamas remaining in power, the Palestinian Authority is incapable of ruling Gaza, an Israeli occupation is undesirable, and an ongoing state of chaos is a serious security threat to Israel."
"2. The Egyptian economy is on the verge of collapse and threatens the stability of Egypt and the entire Middle East: its external debt of $155 billion does not allow Egypt to rebuild its economy and strengthen its military."
Lapid offered a solution to this situation: "Egypt will accept responsibility for ruling Gaza for the next fifteen years, during which time its debt will be covered by the international community and its regional allies. Also during this period, Gaza will undergo major rehabilitation, creating conditions for self-government. Egypt will be the main player and will oversee the reconstruction, which will further strengthen its economy."
Lapid recalled that this solution has a historical precedent: "Egypt controlled Gaza in the past, which was done with the support of the Arab League and with the understanding that this is a temporary situation. Then the Egyptians sponsored the Gaza Strip on behalf of the Palestinians and that is what needs to happen again today."
According to Lapid's model: 1. The current ceasefire will be completed until all the hostages are released, while Israel remains in the perimeter. 2. Egypt will take control of the Gaza Strip via a UN Security Council resolution, including internal security and civilian administration.
3. Control will be defined as "sponsorship," in order to transfer Gaza to the Palestinian Authority after a process of reform and de-radicalization, with measurable indicators. 4. The reconstruction process will commence under Egyptian supervision, with Saudi Arabia and the Abraham Accords countries participating in the working groups, along the lines of the Negev Forum.
5. The US will invest in Gaza in cooperation with Egypt (according to the Trump plan). 6. Egypt will allow any Gaza resident who wants to leave and has somewhere to go, to do so in an orderly manner. 7. Egypt will prevent the smuggling of weapons into Gaza, and destroy the tunnels and the remaining terrorist infrastructure. 8. An Egyptian-Israeli-American security system will be set up to deal with immediate threats.
Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi responded: "Is this real?! For the first time, the President of the United States is proposing a real solution – a complete end to the Gaza threat on Israel, and the exile (voluntarily or not) of the Gaza population. And what does Yair Lapid do? Goes in exactly the opposite direction! Instead of strengthening the international efforts to get rid of the problem, he is proposing to perpetuate it – with more "Egyptian supervision." Haven’t you learned anything from the past? Haven’t you understood how all Hamas’ weapons reached Gaza in the last twenty years?"
Karhi went on to attack Lapid’s plan: "How populist can you be, to the point of inflicting real damage on Israel's national efforts, especially in times of war, and specifically in light of a US administration that has never been more sympathetic?! Lapid, tell me, are you the head of the opposition of the Israeli government or of the state?"
Lapid's Proposed Plan [in Hebrew]