What If Gaza Became the Switzerland of the Middle East?

What does a sleepy little village in the Swiss Alps have to do with one of the most war-torn places on Earth? What does a luxury ski resort have in common with bombed-out buildings and humanitarian collapse? What if I told you that a place barely anyone cared about 20 years ago—a forgotten dot on the map—chose its own future and transformed itself into a global destination?

Let me take you to Andermatt, Switzerland.

It sounds insane, right? Comparing Gaza to a luxury ski resort in the Swiss Alps? What does a war-torn, battered strip of land have in common with a five-star mountain getaway?

But here’s the thing—twenty years ago, Andermatt, Switzerland, was a dying town. Young people were leaving, businesses were closing, and the economy was collapsing. It was a place people moved away from, not toward.

Then, a billionaire investor from Egypt, Samih Sawiris, showed up with a wild idea: What if we turned this place into a world-class destination?

And here’s the part that matters: The people of Andermatt didn’t have this forced on them. They voted for it. They debated, formed committees, fought over details. They ensured their culture and identity were protected. They weren’t passive recipients of a top-down development plan.

They chose their future.

And now? Andermatt is thriving.

So, let’s ask the question no one seems willing to ask:

If a forgotten Swiss village could transform itself into a global hotspot, why can’t Gaza?

The False Choice Gaza Has Been Given

For years, the world has told Palestinians they have two options.

Option one: Stay in Gaza, in a landscape of destruction, unemployment, and despair, with no future beyond the next war.

Option two: Leave. Become refugees—again. Hope for a better life somewhere else, but with no guarantee of return.

These are both terrible options. But what if there was a third option?

What if, instead of debating whether Palestinians should suffer in Gaza or be displaced, we actually let them vote—just like Andermatt did?

What if Gaza had a real referendum on its future?

• ?? Do you want international investment to rebuild your homes?
• ?? Do you want new industries, jobs, and infrastructure?
• ?? Do you want to turn part of Gaza into an economic hub?

Because if the answer is yes, then here’s another truth: The world knows exactly how to do this.

Dubai? It was a desert. Now it’s a global metropolis. Qatar? Once a forgotten patch of sand. Today, one of the wealthiest countries per capita. Saudi Arabia? Right now, they’re building NEOM, a $500 billion futuristic city in the middle of nowhere.

The know-how exists. The capital exists. The expertise exists.

So why isn’t this option of a total rebuild on the table?

This Is Not Trump’s Plan. This Is Choice.

Some will argue this sounds eerily similar to Donald Trump’s past proposals. But here’s the key difference: Trump’s plan is a takeover. This is a choice.

Trump’s approach? “We’re taking Gaza. We’ll move the people out, build what we want, and decide their future for them.”

My approach? “Let the people of Gaza vote. Give them agency. Let them decide if they want investment, how they want to rebuild, and who gets to help.”

One is colonialism. The other is democracy.

One treats Palestinians as a problem to be removed. The other treats them as owners of their own future.

That’s the difference. And it’s a difference that no world leader has ever genuinely offered Gaza.

Don’t Tell Me It’s Impossible. The Real Problem Is Power.

I’ll be honest—I don’t have a PhD in Middle Eastern politics. I don’t have a stack of history books on my desk. But I do know this:

I love humans.

I don’t care if you’re black, white, Jewish, Muslim, atheist, Buddhist, or if you worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster. I believe people should be able to live their lives, love who they want, practice what they want, and eat whatever the hell they please—as long as they don’t force anyone else to live by their rules.

And that’s exactly why this whole thing is so frustrating.

Because the problem isn’t that Gaza can’t be rebuilt. The problem is that too many people profit from it staying exactly as it is.

?? The extremists don’t want Gaza rebuilt. They thrive on suffering.

?? The politicians don’t want Gaza rebuilt. They need a crisis to manipulate.

?? The international community doesn’t want Gaza rebuilt. Better playing “concerned observer” while doing nothing.

?? The Arab world doesn’t want Gaza rebuilt. Because then they can’t use it as a talking point.

?? The West doesn’t want Gaza rebuilt. Because it’s easier to debate Gaza than fix it.

So here we are.

? If Palestinians stay, they suffer.

? If they leave, they may never return.

? And nobody actually wants to take them in.

So let’s stop pretending this is about “justice” or “human rights” or “peace.”

If you actually care about Gaza, give its people a future.

A Path Forward (That Isn’t Just War and Aid)

This isn’t about fantasy. It’s about real-world, viable solutions.

To break the cycle, Gaza needs:

?? A Palestinian-led referendum—a democratic vote on whether to accept large-scale international investment.

?? A multi-national economic plan—funded by investors, Gulf nations, and global stakeholders who have built entire cities from scratch.

?? A commitment to political neutrality—ensuring that economic development isn’t contingent on allegiance to any one faction.

?? Security guarantees—so that a rebuilt Gaza isn’t immediately plunged back into war.

Of course, there will be challenges. Of course, there will be opposition. But compared to the alternative—perpetual destruction and displacement—this is worth fighting for.

If You Want to Build a Ship, Don’t Just Talk About the Wood.

There’s a quote by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

"If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up people to gather wood and assign them tasks. Teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea."

That’s the problem with Gaza. Nobody is giving its people a vision of the future.

All they have is:

War.

Destruction.

Stagnation.

Where is the vision? Where is the opportunity? Where is the hope?

The world isn’t even offering them an Andermatt option. And if you think this is crazy, let me ask you: Is it crazier than doing nothing?

Because until you can answer that, let’s stop pretending anyone actually wants to fix this.If the global community truly cares about peace, it can’t keep pretending the only choices for Gaza are suffering or exile.

It has to offer something better.

It has to offer choice.