Rebuilding Gaza, not Hamas

The Gaza donors conference that was scheduled to convene in Cairo on Sunday could have an important contribution when it comes to restoring calm. But for Israeli-Palestinian relations to get back on track, a whole new paradigm shift is in order. Good faith is in short supply, on both sides.

There are many on the world stage who wonder the conference would have any meaningful impact. Even the peacenik New York Times has expressed concern that the pledged funds would be misspent. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas said he would ask for about $4 billion, but it seems that he will get nowhere near that target. Abbas may be looking at $1.5 billion at the most. Once the conference is over the guessing game will be all about the date of the next one, with one big question lingering: when would the international communities be asked to reopen their checkbooks-

Mohammed Sabih, the Arab League's deputy secretary-general for Palestinian affairs, said the international community should provide guarantees that Israel would not attack the Gaza Strip. But he failed to guarantee that Israel would not face more rocket attacks and kidnapping operations. Israel demonstrated restraint after the three Jewish teens were kidnapped and murdered in Judea and Samaria in June, saying "calm will be met with calm." This is the ultimate proof that Israel did not, and does not, seek a confrontation. What else does he need to see before he is convinced? Any guarantees have to be mutual. In fact, they serve no purpose because Israel will only attack if it is provoked.

As unlikely as it may seem, the post-Protective Edge era could see a reinvigorated Palestinian Authority and a weakened Hamas. It is not beyond the realm of possibility, despite the slim chances of that scenario. But is there anyone out there who genuinely believes Hamas will let Abbas monitor its activities in Gaza? Even the United States, whose half-measures in its fight against the Islamic State group are on full display, knows that Abbas is not going to get stronger and that he has lost his clout ever since he aborted the peace process some five months ago.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is in Egypt. He is expected to converse with Abbas in an effort to jump start the peace talks. Israel should welcome this and do its part to see that Kerry succeeds. Some extremists on the Left have said Israel should write checks to Gazans, hoping this would deter Israel from invading again. But Israel should not go down that path.

Israel's contribution should be in the form of a moderate, reconcialiatory and cautious policy that would encourage Abbas to return to the negotiating table and abandon his anti-Israel campaign at the U.N. and his efforts to take Israel to international tribunals and have it boycotted.

Israel must make it clear that the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip tops its humanitarian concerns and that providing such relief would serve both sides. But this should not involve renewed rocket attacks on the Gaza-area communities and then on Tel Aviv, nor should this enable Hamas to dig more tunnels that would let it attack Israeli kibbutzim.

The conference's success depends on Egypt. Just how far is it willing to go to make sure Hamas does not capitalize on the world's generosity? For the sake of Gazans, Abbas should make sure Hamas' leaders -- former Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh and Hamas political bureau chief Khaled Mashaal -- are sidelined. Kerry has an important role to play. He should make Abbas pressure Hamas and the unity government to embrace the Quartet's conditions for a new round of talks. If Kerry fails to do that, he should make it abundantly clear that the Palestinians are to blame for the stalled peace process.

If Kerry fails to initiate a peace process to complement the donors conference, the funds will go to waste.