President Trump Makes Suggestive Remarks on Relocating Palestinians
President Donald Trump revealed on Saturday that he had spoken with Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the possibility of building housing and relocating over one million Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. This proposal marks a remarkable departure from decades of US foreign policy and has already elicited strong reactions from various parties in the region.
Trump reportedly asked King Abdullah to take in more Palestinians, while also expressing interest in speaking with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about building more homes for Palestinians. This comes as a surprise, as there have long been concerns in the region that Israel wants to push Palestinians out of Gaza into neighboring countries, a notion rejected by Israel but advocated by some of its right-wing coalition members.
The reaction to Trump’s suggestion has been swift and diverse. Analyst Amit Segal from Israeli network Channel 12 News believes that Trump’s move is part of a larger Israeli plan, while Bassem Naim, a senior Hamas official, has outright rejected any proposals from the US president. Dr. Mustafa Barghouti, an independent Palestinian politician, has also expressed his disapproval of the comments.
Israel’s Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a vocal advocate of removing Palestinians from Gaza and pushing for Israeli rule, has endorsed Trump’s remarks, calling the idea of helping Gazans find new homes “a great idea.” Key powers in the region, including Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan, have yet to respond to Trump’s proposal, which could ostensibly mark a significant shift in US policy.