Hamas could have built its own Dubai. It chose war with Israel

Not only would the world have lined up to aid and invest in it, it would have been the most powerful springboard conceivable for a Palestinian state in the West Bank.

Thomas FriedmanContributor

Jan 2, 2024 – 9.25am

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Dubai | As The New York Times′ foreign affairs columnist since 1995, one of the most enduring lessons I’ve learned is that there are good seasons and bad seasons in this business, which are defined by the big choices made by the biggest players.

To close out the year, it’s through this prism of choices that I want to reexamine the story that has consumed me, and I dare say much of the world, since October 7: the Israel-Hamas war. It was not as inevitable as some want you to think.