US President Donald Trump has dealt a death blow to Palestinian aspirations of returning to their homeland in Gaza and rebuilding their lives, while also fuelling speculations of US support for ethnic cleansing by Israel.
The dramatic announcement that the US will be taking over the Gaza Strip was made after a three-hour meeting with Israel바카라s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the first foreign leader he met since taking office. Israel will naturally be delighted with Trump바카라s proposal, as was evidenced by Netanyahu smiling through the presser and heaping praise on his benefactor.
Trump, however, couched the proposal in humanitarian concern for the people of Gaza, saying earlier that the place was a "hell hole" and it was impossible for anyone to live there with dignity.
Trump reinforced his earlier remarks that Egypt and Jordan as well as other Arab countries could accommodate the displaced people of Gaza. This is in line with the demand of Israel바카라s far-right to send Palestinians living in Gaza to the Sinai desert in Egypt. Both Egypt and Jordan have rejected the idea earlier.
Trump placed the broad point of driving away Palestinians from their homeland is in language of concern for the devastated people of Gaza. He said that Palestinians have no alternative but to leave Gaza and go somewhere "good, fresh, beautiful" where they could have a great life. He spoke of turning war-torn Gaza into the "riviera of the Middle East". Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration바카라s envoy for the region who was praised for getting Netanyahu to agree to the ceasefire deal, doubled down on his boss and said that the Gaza Strip "will probably be uninhabitable for at least the next ten to fifteen years" and said that a "better life isn바카라t necessarily tied to physical space". Marco Rubio, the new US secretary of state added his bit about the US making Gaza Great Again.
바카라Everybody I've spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent,바카라 Trump said. His son-in-law Jared Kushner had earlier praised the 바카라very valuable바카라 potential of Gaza바카라s 바카라waterfront property바카라 and suggested Israel should remove civilians while it "cleans up바카라 the strip. Kushner was in charge of West Asia during Trump바카라s first term in office and was the architect of the Abraham Accords that led to establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and Sunni Arab nations like the UAE, Bahrain, Morocco and Sudan.
No Details of the Plan
Trump simply outlined an idea at the press briefing, offering no details. He hinted that the US military could be deployed if necessary. For Trump, who has long campaigned for not wasting American lives on foreign wars, this is a turnaround.
Taking over territory and asking the rightful inhabitants to move out is against international law; but in a world where might is right, the US could do whatever the President바카라s whim dictates. Countries are in no position to oppose the US. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Trump바카라s plan to relocate Gaza바카라s population and develop the Palestinian enclave would amount to 바카라ethnic cleansing바카라.
Can Trump and Israel Pull this off ?
Both Egypt and Jordan have rejected Trump바카라s proposal. King Hussain of Jordan will be in Washington next week for a meeting with Trump. The situation would be clearer after the talks. The UN as well as most countries have always supported the two state solution; it is another matter that despite the efforts made during the Oslo Accord, that remained a nonstarter. What can be worked out is difficult to gauge now but the people of Gaza cannot be forcibly ejected despite US and Israeli effort.
Netanyahu바카라s plan now appears to be clear. While the US takes over the rebuilding of Gaza after forcing the people out, Israel will continue with its settlements in the West Bank. Though Trump has not yet pronounced his views, it is clear from recent Israeli action that the annexation of Palestinian land and extending Israel바카라s frontiers is part of the plan
It will be difficult for any Arab country to support Trump바카라s proposal. Even if rulers may be eager to toe the American line, they cannot go against popular sentiments. The ordinary people in the bazars and mosques who have witnessed the devastation and suffering of the people of Gaza will not back Trump. Saudi Arabia had repeatedly made clear that without the Palestinians getting their due through a two state solution, Riyadh will not establish diplomatic ties with Israel.
Whether Trump바카라s real estate instincts on Gaza work out remains to be seen.
