With no signs that Israel’s onslaughts against Gaza and Lebanon will relent any time soon and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s extremist coalition calling for the annexation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip, countries in the Middle East should band together. Two of the most important countries in this fight are Egypt and Jordan. The question is, what are Arabs and the countries in the region going to do? When Netanyahu and his crowd of zealots mention annexation, they probably have eviction in mind. The eviction of Palestinians is a plan that Israel has regularly touted during its Gaza campaign. However, Egypt was firm and did not allow Palestinians to cross into Sinai. Egypt knows full well that, if the Gazans left for Egypt as refugees, they would never go back. Therefore, Israel’s plan to vacate the Palestinians from Gaza did not work, despite the massive bombardment, the genocide and the decapitation of the Hamas leadership. When Netanyahu and his crowd of zealots mention annexation, they probably have eviction in mind Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib Netanyahu is emboldened. He feels he is closer to achieving the dream of kicking the Palestinians out of Palestine and creating a “Greater Israel” from the river to the sea. In order to achieve that, he needs to evict the Palestinians of Gaza into Egypt and the Palestinians of the West Bank into Jordan. Hence, it is key that both these countries hold their ground. This is why the entire Arab and Muslim worlds should support them. They are the first line of defense against the extremist Zionist project that Netanyahu is leading. There are glimpses of hope that the region will take a unified stand against this hideous expansionist project. Under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, Riyadh last week hosted an Arab and Muslim summit to discuss Gaza. The Kingdom condemned Israel for conducting a genocide against the Palestinian people. The summit reiterated the Palestinian people’s right to statehood and a dignified life. This unified front should materialize in supporting both Jordan and Egypt. It is important to make sure they do not succumb to any pressure to open their borders and allow evictions from Gaza or the West Bank. Recent history shows us that Palestinians who leave are never allowed to go back. Any eviction will mean more generations of refugees. Palestinians and the Arab states have learned the lessons of 1948 and 1967. The coming year should not be one of another mass eviction. The silver lining is that President-elect Donald Trump is not afraid to take firm positions on issues Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib The countries that will bear the brunt of the pressure will be Jordan and Egypt. However, Arab and Islamic states should put their foot down. They should explain that another wave of Palestinian refugees will not be tolerated. They will not accept another wave of refugees in return for some perks from the US. The silver lining is that President-elect Donald Trump is not afraid to take firm positions on issues. If he sees that Netanyahu’s approach will not work and might lead to a regional conflict, he will look for another way. Trump is more likely to pressure and be firm with Netanyahu than Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. This is the time to give Egypt and Jordan maximum support to hold their ground, so that they can resist any pressure from Israel to accept refugees. Arab and Islamic states should realize that the decisions they make today will affect many generations to come. The region is at a junction. We either allow Israel unbridled expansionism or stand together and establish a framework for a sustainable peace. Dr. Dania Koleilat Khatib is a specialist in US-Arab relations with a focus on lobbying. She is co-founder of the Research Center for Cooperation and Peace Building, a Lebanese nongovernmental organization focused on Track II.