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The war in Gaza continues, and Trump’s favored negotiator Steve Witkoff expressed his frustration Saturday with Hamas’ intransigence in ongoing negotiations, but never fear: the governments of France and Saudi Arabia are rushing in to save the day. They’re planning to come to New York City, which is an odd choice of venue, as it is neither in France nor Saudi Arabia, next month in order to establish that entity that all too many people still fondly assume will bring a definitive end to the jihad against Israel: a Palestinian state. U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, however, takes a dim view of the French-Saudi plans, and has offered the French some barbed advice on how to proceed.

Huckabee, according to a Saturday Fox News report, said that it was “incredibly inappropriate in the midst of a war that Israel is dealing with to go out and present something that I think increasingly Israelis are steadfast against.” Indeed, a majority of Israelis now oppose the “two-state solution,” after supporting it for a long time. That’s only reasonable, as it’s impossible to sustain the idea that the Palestinian Arabs will live side-by-side in peace with an Israel of any size. It’s much more likely that a Palestinian state would become a new jihad base for increased attacks against what’s left of Israel, just as Gaza did after the Israelis unilaterally withdrew from it in 2005.

The change in Israeli opinion on this issue came about largely because of Hamas’ brutal massacre of 1,200 Israelis. Huckabee observed succinctly: “Oct. 7 changed a lot of things.” Then he offered a modest proposal to the French diplomats who apparently plan to establish a Palestinian state without any input at all from the Israelis: “If France is really so determined to see a Palestinian state, I have a suggestion for them–carve out a piece of the French Riviera and create a Palestinian state.”

Hey, that’s a terrific idea. Carving a Palestinian state out of territory over which Israel has legitimate sovereignty makes about as much sense as carving out a Palestinian state anywhere else. Meanwhile, given France’s relentless and growing hostility toward Israel, the south of France would be a perfect place for a Palestinian state, and is already the resort area that Gaza could have been if its inhabitants had devoted themselves to building it up rather than using it as a base for the jihad against Israel. The Palestinian state on the French Riviera could become part of the Islamic caliphate that Muslim migrants are likely to establish in France before the end of this century.

The only snag would be that the French Riviera Palestinians would need higher-grade rockets to reach Israel from their new, farther-off base of operations, but the Islamic Republic of Iran and others would no doubt be happy to help them with that little problem.

Huckabee continued by saying that the French were “welcome to do that,” that is, establish a Palestinian state on the French Riviera, “but they are not welcome to impose that kind of pressure on a sovereign nation. And I find it revolting that they think they have the right to do such a thing.” Indeed. Huckabee added that even though the French and the Saudis plan this display of virtue-signaling and Jew-hatred on American soil, the Trump administration will not be playing along. “I hope they will reconsider,” Huckabee said, “but the U.S. will not participate. It simply will not be a part of such a ruse.”

Huckabee also had reassuring words for those who are nervous about rumors of difficulties between the U.S. and Israel:

I don’t think pro-Israel Americans need to be concerned that there’s some rift between the United States and Israel. Are there sometimes differences of opinion on the next steps in the war in Gaza, getting the hostages home, or maybe to avoid an all-out war with Iran? Of course, that’s natural. But as far as the relationship between Israel and the U.S., that is not in any way at risk, nor is it in any way splintered or fractured. It’s solid, it has to be. We don’t have a choice. It’s critically important that the United States maintains its partnership—and I use that word very deliberately—it’s not a friendship, it’s not an alliance, it’s a partnership, which means we are yoked together in our intelligence sharing, military — so many ways in which our nations are linked inseparably.

Huckabee added that the Islamic Republic of Iran was “one of the if not the greatest, threats to world peace. The Iranians have said Israel is the ‘Little Satan,’ but America is the ‘Great Satan.’ They’ve always treated Israel as the appetizer and the United States as the entrée. It’s just important when people tell you over and over for 46 years they plan to kill you, you might want to start taking them seriously.”

The same could be said of the Palestinian jihadis, yet numerous governments around the world are increasingly anxious to accommodate them. Even if a Palestinian state is never established on the French Riviera, the French will eventually discover anew that appeasement only ever emboldens, not pacifies, evil forces.