I mean, they're trying their best to get back to life there, too.

Well, I mean, unfortunately, uh, Jamie, there really is either no normalcy, uh, in the future, or just because of how long the conflict has occurred, uh, in, uh, Gaza and now in the West Bank, uh, it is a new normal or the only normal that they've really known.

Uh, as Howie said, that you have the situation of, uh, thankfully no further rocket attacks on Israel, but that has not stopped over the last three years, despite the fact of a so-called ceasefire when it comes to Gaza.

And if one takes a look at the images now that have been opened up by Google Maps, uh, it is absolute devastation.

There are no hospitals.

There are no universities.

Uh, there really aren't any schools except in tents, uh, because, uh, the Israelis bombed everything.

They're saying, "We're gonna redevelop Gaza." I mean, your thoughts there?

I mean, they're trying their best to get back to life there, too.

Well, I mean, unfortunately, uh, Jamie, there really is either no normalcy, uh, in the future, or just because of how long the conflict has occurred, uh, in, uh, Gaza and now in the West Bank, uh, it is a new normal or the only normal that they've really known.

Uh, as Howie said, that you have the situation of, uh, thankfully no further rocket attacks on Israel, but that has not stopped over the last three years, despite the fact of a so-called ceasefire when it comes to Gaza.

And if one takes a look at the images now that have been opened up by Google Maps, uh, it is absolute devastation.

There are no hospitals.

There are no universities.

Uh, there really aren't any schools except in tents, uh, because, uh, the Israelis bombed everything.

They're saying, "We're gonna redevelop Gaza." I mean, your thoughts there?

I mean, they're trying their best to get back to life there, too.

Well, I mean, unfortunately, uh, Jamie, there really is either no normalcy, uh, in the future, or just because of how long the conflict has occurred, uh, in, uh, Gaza and now in the West Bank, uh, it is a new normal or the only normal that they've really known.

Uh, as Howie said, that you have the situation of, uh, thankfully no further rocket attacks on Israel, but that has not stopped over the last three years, despite the fact of a so-called ceasefire when it comes to Gaza.

And if one takes a look at the images now that have been opened up by Google Maps, uh, it is absolute devastation.

There are no hospitals.

There are no universities.

Uh, there really aren't any schools except in tents, uh, because, uh, the Israelis bombed everything.

They're saying, "We're gonna redevelop Gaza." I mean, your thoughts there?

What were your initial thoughts when you saw this proposal?

Well, first of all, it was a little bit audacious because this occurred at the United Nations and it is UN week with the opening of the UN General Assembly and President Trump had announced last year the creation of the board of this board of peace as really an alternative to the United Nations claiming that he wanted to bypass that international body create his own subgroup of as you said 28 countries to go ahead and try to do something regarding gaza so the optics were very unusual but also i thought what was quite telling was uh the numbers that that had been cited 2.45 billion uh for six months in the medium term about 35 billion and then overall over 10 years looking at at least 75 billion to rebuild gaza and just to give uh the audience a little bit of a perspective sofi stadium in los angeles costs 5.5 billion to build.

So here, 2.45 billion over six months is really a pittance.

I mean, I suppose it's something for a population that's devastated and living really intense in Gaza, but the numbers really don't add up to the level of destruction and devastation that have to then be addressed and with the rebuilding

So there are still some hurdles here before that money can start to be used towards the rebuilding of Gaza.

Absolutely, Chris.

And I think that this is, again, one of the sad ironies that the Board of Peace was constructed ostensibly by President Trump indicting the United Nations for its ineffectiveness.

And now coming up on the one year anniversary of the Board of Peace, the same indictment, I suppose, can be made against the Board of Peace that it has been ineffective to stop the violence.

Uh, w- what were your initial thoughts when you saw this, this proposal?

Well, first of all, it was a little bit audacious because, uh, this, uh, occurred at the United Nations, and, uh, it is UN week with the opening of the UN General Assembly.

And President Trump had, uh, announced last year the creation of the board of, uh, uh, this Board of Peace, uh, as really an alternative to the United Nations, claiming that he wanted to bypass, uh, that international body, create his own subgroup of, as you said, 28 countries to, uh, go ahead and, uh, try to do something regarding, uh, Gaza.

So the optics were very unusual, but also I thought what was quite telling was, uh, the numbers that, uh, that had been cited, 2.45 billion, uh, for six months, in the medium term about 35 billion, and then overall over 10 years, looking at at least 75 billion to rebuild Gaza.

And so just to give, uh, uh, the audience a little bit of a perspective, SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles cost 5.5 billion to build.

So here, 2.45 billion over six months is, is really a pittance.

Uh, I mean, I suppose it's something for a population that's devastated and living, uh, really in tents, uh, in, uh, in Gaza.

So th- there are still some hurdles here before that money can start to be used towards the, the rebuilding of Gaza.

If they feel like America has pulled back willingly, what would that do for the tenor of the region?

Well, I think actually it would bring about a greater sense of stability.

Remember, the United States has had a presence there really predating the revolution in Iran in 1979 because of oil.

This is, of course, a very strategically important region of the world when it comes to oil, even though the United States itself does not really import that much from the region anymore, if any.

But as far as the Gulf states where the United States has had and remains right now a military presence places like bahrain which is the headquarters to the u.s fifth fleet centcom is located in qatar major strategic military sites in kuwait in saudi arabia in the united arab emirates and even in jordan the deal has always been that the united states would have these ostensibly to protect these gulf states either from some kinds of rebellion or from iran Those countries have paid very handsomely for the U.S. military presence to be there.

But the return on investment over the last six months has shown has been pretty poor and in fact has arguably put those countries in greater harm's way because the United States was essentially unable to protect them from Iran's attack.

So I think there's a lot of soul searching going on with the Gulf states.

Why has leaving the region

[laughs] Okay.

I- I'll take B, Alex.

Uh, so what you have here is if you look at the, uh, the 10-point, uh, ceasefire, which of course expired 60 days on that on Monday, uh, one of the, uh, provisions that the United States had agreed to was that, uh, Iran would have control over the Strait of Hormuz, uh, but then that there would also be some kind of negotiation for safe passage of, of vessels through this.

One of the things that it seems that, uh, the pr- the Trump administration is not really comprehending or unwilling to comprehend is the fact that, uh, Iranian and Omani territorial waters actually come together in the Strait of Hormuz.

We've got a body of water closer to home called the Detroit River, but the Detroit River is actually also a strait.

And if you think about it, there really is no international waters between the Canadian side and the American side.

Uh, you go on the Gordie Howe Bridge, and you'll see that the Canadian and the, uh, American flags are right next to each other at midpoint.

So you're saying that, that that waterway is not technically international waters, that there isn't any international waterway there?

Could Oman actually be undermining the talks or maybe just pursuing a different diplomatic solution that Washington doesn't like? I will go with B on that one.

Okay.

I'll take B, Alex.

So what you have here is if you look at the 10-point ceasefire, which of course expired 60 days on that on Monday, one of the provisions that the United States had agreed to was that Iran would have control over the Strait of Hormuz, but then that there would also be some kind of negotiation for safe passage of vessels through this.

One of the things that it seems that the Trump administration is not really comprehending or unwilling to comprehend is the fact that Iranian and Omani territorial waters actually come together in the Strait of Hormuz.

We've got a body of water closer to home called the Detroit River, but the Detroit River is actually also a strait.

And if you think about it, there really is no international waters between the Canadian side and the American side.

So you're saying that that waterway is not technically international waters, that there isn't any international waterway there?

Well,

first of all, thank you for having me on again.

And I think that I share Lloyd's confusion and concern when it comes to the grammar of and the language that's been used, particularly by the president.

But in that, I would actually argue that we have a little bit more flexibility and hope.

The president may go ahead and be rather blustery with his rhetoric, but as you said, mediators are still meeting.

There is no, I suppose, end to the ceasefire as we understand it in a broader sense.

Active hostilities haven't reengaged at the level that they had before.

Is there any sense that some of the rhetoric coming from the regime is breaking through to some of those people?

Well,

first of all, thank you for having me on again.

And I think that I share Lloyd's confusion and concern when it comes to the grammar and the language that's been used, particularly by the president.

But in that, I would actually argue that we have a little bit more flexibility and hope.

The president may go ahead and be rather blustery with his rhetoric, but as you said, mediators are still meeting.

There is no, I suppose, end to the ceasefire as we understand it in a broader sense.

Active hostilities haven't reengaged at the level that they had before.

Is there any sense that some of the rhetoric coming from the regime is breaking through to some of those people?

But now reopening these frozen assets, what does that provide for Iran at this point?

I think it provides for Iran much needed funding for its infrastructure.

Remember that in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal that came about during the Obama administration, which the first Trump administration revoked or pulled the United States out of, there was going to be the release of $150 billion in Iranian assets that have been frozen for the last 47 years in foreign banks, including those in the United States.

There was every likelihood that that money was going to go into rebuilding the infrastructure of a country that's been under sanctions for 47 years.

I'll give you just one example.

Back in 2015, reports showed that Iran had a 900 commercial aircraft deficit for its aviation sector.

There's only two major companies in the world that make the jets that would go ahead and supply Iran.

Does this actually further the notion of Iran not having a nuclear weapon or nuclear capabilities?

But now reopening these frozen assets, what does that provide for Iran at this point?

I think it provides for Iran much needed funding for its infrastructure.

Remember that in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also known as the Iran nuclear deal that came about during the Obama administration, which the first Trump administration revoked or pulled the United States out of, there was going to be the release of $150 billion in Iranian assets that have been frozen for the last 47 years in foreign banks, including those in the United States.

There was every likelihood that that money was going to go into rebuilding the infrastructure of a country that's been under sanctions for 47 years.

I'll give you just one example.

Back in 2015, reports showed that Iran had a 900 commercial aircraft deficit for its aviation sector.

There's only two major companies in the world that make the jets that would go ahead and supply Iran.

So does this actually further the notion of of Iran not having a nuclear weapon or nuclear capabilities?