*“The real breakthrough is governance, not weapons”: Palestinian activist Samer Sinjlawi’s proposal sparks widespread Israeli-American debate*
Media Report
Palestinian political activist Samer Sinjlawi has reignited a broad debate within Israeli and American right-wing circles regarding the future of Gaza and the post-war period. This follows an article he published last month in The Jerusalem Post, in which he called for a pragmatic political approach to what he described as “the first real opportunity” to begin dismantling Hamas’s rule gradually by transferring power to a new Palestinian technocratic framework.
Sinjlawi wrote that the real breakthrough lies not only in the issue of weapons, but also in Hamas’s reported willingness to hand over “the entire governance system” to the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza (NCAG). This includes ministries, revenues, tax collection systems, administrative structures, human resources, as well as the police, internal security forces and their equipment, and law enforcement powers.
In his article, Sinjlawi stated:
“If Hamas is truly prepared to hand over not only the weapons related to internal security, but also the keys to governance and administration…” “The ability to enforce the law—that is the real breakthrough.”
He called for the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza to enter the territory, be granted real executive powers, and for a gradual and monitored disarmament process to be launched, in parallel with the restoration of stability to the economy and civilian institutions in the Strip.
He added: “If we say no to this path, we are not upholding red lines, but rather jeopardizing the lives of both Palestinians and Israelis.” History will not judge us by the slogans we raised, but by the opportunities we knew how to seize—or those we chose to ignore.
These arguments provoked strong reactions within Israeli and American right-wing circles. This week, The Jerusalem Post published a lengthy article by American security expert Eric Mandel entitled, “Does Pragmatism Mean We Should Accept Hamas as Part of Gaza’s Future?” A significant portion of the article was devoted to refuting Sinjlawi’s ideas and warning against treating any flexibility shown by Hamas as a genuine strategic shift.
Mandel, who provides regular briefings to the US Congress and American security institutions, argued that Hamas is part of a broader Islamist network linked to Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood. He maintained that any future arrangements in Gaza must proceed from the premise that the movement will continue its efforts to maintain its influence behind the scenes.
Despite the article’s critical tone, the mere fact that it has generated such a level of discussion within conservative Israeli and American media reflects the fact that Sinjlawi’s approach is beginning to assert itself as part of the serious debate surrounding Gaza’s future, particularly… With a growing realization that a purely military solution may not be sufficient to produce a stable reality in the Gaza Strip.
In his articles and media appearances, Sinjlawi attempts to present a Palestinian approach that addresses Israeli security concerns in political and pragmatic terms, focusing on building a Palestinian civilian and institutional alternative capable of ending Hamas rule and gradually changing the current dire reality in Gaza through administration, governance, and the economy, not solely through military force.
التاريخ 21-5-2026
