Summary
Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s fraught project of seizure of Gaza by the United States and its development into a “Riviera of the Middle East” without Palestinians has become the source of loud international responses of condemnation on Friday. Decades-long USA policy in finding a solution for the Israeli-Palestinian crisis has been assailed with intense criticism by most international powers and regional leaders coupled with human right advocates.
Trump, a New York property developer before he went into politics, outlined his blueprint for Gaza when he hosted Netanyahu at the White House. In his pitch for an international luxury resort community that could be, he described this war-torn enclave as “prime waterfront property.” But all of this, of course, is dependent on the forced relocation of more than two million Palestinians, which was labeled unethical, not to mention illegal.
International Backlash
The plan has drawn swift rebukes from global powers including Russia, China, and Germany, with German officials warning it would bring “new suffering and new hatred.” Saudi Arabia, a key regional player, outright rejected the proposal, emphasizing its commitment to Palestinian rights.
The Palestinians were livid in Gaza over the implication of their removal from their historic land. “Trump can go to hell, with his ideas, with his money, with his beliefs. We are going nowhere. We are not some of his assets,” said Samir Abu Basel, a resident of Gaza City.
Jordan and Egypt also rejected the proposal, with Jordan’s King Abdullah saying that any displacement of Palestinians or annexation of land would be unacceptable. Egypt, on its part, said it would support recovery in Gaza, but only if Palestinians remain on their land.
Netanyahu’s Ambiguous Response
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sidestepped Trump’s proposal but thanked the former president for bringing “fresh ideas” to the table. Far-right Israeli lawmaker Itamar Ben Gvir openly embraced the plan, calling for the immediate adoption of policies that would encourage Gazans to leave the enclave.
Fear of Another Nakba
To Palestinians, the Trump plan conjures the painful memory of the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” of 1948, when hundreds of thousands were forcibly displaced in the creation of Israel. Many fear history will repeat itself.
“We will not leave our areas,” said Um Tamer Jamal, a 65-year-old mother of six. “We have brought our kids up teaching them that they can’t leave their home, and they can’t allow a second Nakba.”
Regional and Global Implications
Trump’s plan has also raised a number of concerns regarding its implication for regional stability and U.S. foreign policy. Michael Milshtein, the former Israeli intelligence officer, suggested that Trump might be using the plan as a way of pressuring the Arab states into the normalization of ties with Israel. However, Saudi Arabia has made it clear that it will not establish ties with Israel without the creation of a Palestinian state.
Others also criticize the plan as being replete with imperialistic overtones. Many draw a parallel to previous remarks by Trump about buying Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, and making Canada the 51st state. According to them, this sets a very dangerous precedent and is likely to weaken international norms against aggression by other global powers.
U.S. Policy in Question
Though the proposal seemed to fly in the face of decades of U.S. support for a two-state solution, U.S. National Security Adviser Mike Waltz downplayed any suggestion that the administration was abandoning this framework. “I certainly didn’t hear the President say it was the end of the two-state solution,” he told CBS News.
But the proposal already sparked tensions within the region and Hamas officials, who branded the proposal “ridiculous and absurd.” Its spokesman, Sami Abu Zuhri warned that such an idea could “ignite the region” and sabotage the fragile cease-fire with Israel.
Conclusion
Trump’s Gaza plan has engendered a firestorm of criticism, with world leaders, regional powers, and Palestinians united in their rejection of the plan. As fears of another Nakba grow, so do calls from the international community for a recommitment to diplomacy and a just resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
