The Times of Israel Daily Briefing Day 777 - Lazar Berman: Is Trump's 'pathway to a Palestinian state' code for nation-building?
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Nov 21, 2025 Explore the intriguing concept of nation-building and its historical contexts with insights from Japan and Germany's post-war transformations. Delve into the contrasting outcomes of state-building efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq, analyzing key failures and successes. The discussion shifts to the potential implications for Gaza, raising questions about governance and security in a volatile region. Finally, the complexities of creating stabilized areas are examined, along with the significant obstacles that lie ahead in achieving meaningful progress.
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What Nation-Building Really Means
- Nation-building (state-building) uses armed force post-conflict to transition a defeated territory toward stable governance and often democracy.
- It centers on security, victor-led administration, constitutions, and eventual local elections to shift violence into politics.
Japan And Germany As Successful Models
- Post-WWII reconstruction of Japan and Germany reshaped autocratic societies into stable democratic allies within decades.
- Those successes combined occupation, security presence, institutional rebuilding and long-term political transformation.
Building Blocks Of State Reconstruction
- Early nation-building prioritizes security, training local forces, and victor-run governance to create a transitional government and constitution.
- Longer-term work targets education, economic incentives, and cultural shifts to reduce violence and extremist recruitment.