As soon as he took the oath of office, U.S. President Donald Trump kept his word and signed numerous executive orders. Many of these decisions were groundbreaking, including withdrawing the U.S. from the World Health Organization (WHO), rejecting the European Union's carbon emissions mandates, ordering the release of documents on famous assassinations in the country's history and investigating the handling of the pandemic.
The president, who declared he would share his mandate to govern with no one, also touched on the Gaza issue during the signing ceremony in the Oval Office. Expressing uncertainty about the continuation of the cease-fire, he stated: "It's not our war. It's their war."
Trump mentioned he could help with the reconstruction of Gaza, saying, "Gaza is a phenomenal location" and adding, "Some beautiful things could be done with it, but it's very interesting, but some fantastic things could be done with Gaza." Hearing this from Trump, who had a significant role in the cease-fire achieved after 460 days, gave me hope for the future.
However, Trump made another statement about Palestinian refugees in Air Force One just the other day. He mentioned speaking with King Abdullah II of Jordan on the phone and that he would also talk with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi. Trump said regarding Palestinian refugees, "You're talking about a million and a half people and we just clean out that whole thing."
Trump relayed to King Abdullah II his wish for them to take in more refugees, saying, "I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess.”
Acknowledging many centuries of disputes in the region, Trump suggested that the resettlement of Palestinian refugees in Arab countries could be temporary or long-term.
Trump stated: “I don’t know, something has to happen, but it’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything’s demolished and people are dying there. So I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing in a different location where I think they could maybe live in peace for a change.”
Trump's proposal to displace Palestinians from Gaza to surrounding countries is impossible for several reasons.
First, Palestinians, under 460 days of blockade and heavy bombardment by Israel, have suffered 50,000 casualties but have not left their land. Would the result change if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, with Trump's support, killed another 50,000? I don't know if his blinkered advisors informed him, but nearly 60,000 babies were born in Gaza during the genocide. Is it hard to understand that these people do not see their land as a hotel? Palestinians, knowing they could never return once they leave, would never agree to this.
Second, even if Palestinians were convinced, the countries Trump named cannot bear the load of millions of refugees. Neither Egypt, Jordan, nor other Arab countries can take on this social, economic and political burden.
Third, this plan clearly contradicts Trump's promise to end wars. Such an expulsion would spread tension between Israel and Palestine across the region, deepening the conflict.
Trump, who often breaks from convention and offers rational solutions in many areas, reverts to cliches when it comes to Israel, undoubtedly showing the power of the Jewish lobby in the U.S.
However, this time, the strong president seems unlikely to fully achieve his goals without breaking the Israeli oversight in the U.S.
