Arab world too weak to stop Trump from resettling Palestinians from Gaza

The global outrage over Donald Trump's proposal to relocate Palestinians from Gaza and hand over their land to Israel raises an important question: What can you do to stop it?

Photo: commons.wikimedia.org by Makbula Nassar مقبولة نصار, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Palestinians

Trump's Radical Plan

U.S. President Donald Trump has put forward the idea of relocating around two million residents of Gaza and establishing control over the territory. Even among his supporters in the U.S. Jewish community, the proposal has been met with skepticism. A longtime Trump donor called the idea "insane" and doubted its feasibility, according to Haaretz.

Opponents of the plan have reacted with outrage, calling it an attempt at ethnic cleansing and a war crime. Critics argue that the U.S. administration is trying to achieve through political pressure what Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to accomplish by force. At a meeting of Arab foreign ministers in Cairo, officials reaffirmed their commitment to resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on a two-state solution in line with UN resolutions and pre-1967 borders. However, Trump has shown little regard for international law or UN decisions when they don't align with his interests.

Trump to Pressure Jordan and Egypt

After meeting with Trump, Netanyahu stated at a press conference that the plan, if implemented, "could change history and is worth pursuing."

For the plan to move forward, Trump will need the support of the countries where he intends to relocate the Palestinians-namely Jordan and Egypt. Both nations have already rejected the idea. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi firmly stated:

"The solution to the Palestinian issue lies in Palestine. Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians."

Trump is now expected to use economic leverage, potentially cutting U.S. aid to Egypt and Jordan to force compliance.

"We do a lot for them," Trump remarked. "They will agree."

In 2023, U.S. aid to Egypt amounted to $1.43 billion, with $1.44 billion requested for 2024. Jordan received $1.7 billion in 2023, and U.S. commitments extend to $1.4 billion per year until 2029.

Will Palestinians Leave Gaza?

Forced displacement of Palestinians has historical precedent. In 1948, around 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their villages following the creation of Israel. Many of them, or their descendants, still live in refugee camps in neighboring countries.

According to UN estimates, 85% of Gaza's population has already been displaced internally due to the ongoing war. They now live in the rubble of their former homes. Many are desperate to leave-if they have somewhere to go and the means to do so.

Israel reportedly has a plan to "encourage voluntary migration." Palestinians willing to leave would be required to sign a pledge never to return-for themselves and their children-in exchange for an economic assistance package, the details of which remain undisclosed.

Outrage Alone Won't Stop Trump and Netanyahu

Trump is confident that his opponents won't go beyond verbal condemnation. This raises a question for the Arab world, Turkey, and other critics: "What will you actually do about it?"

While groups like the Houthis are taking action in support of Palestinians, other nations are limited to mass protests – an effort that is clearly insufficient. In order to counter the U.S. and Israel, Arab nations should:

• provide weapons to Palestinians;
• impose sanctions on the U.S. (boycott American oil and gas);
• deploy military forces to Gaza.

So far, none of this has been done, while Israel and the U.S. continue to act decisively. If no concrete steps are taken, the controversial plan for Gaza may indeed become a reality.

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Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in the southern Levant region of West Asia recognized by 146 out of 193 UN member states. It encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, collectively known as the occupied Palestinian territories, within the broader geographic and historical Palestine region. Palestine shares most of its borders with Israel, and it borders Jordan to the east and Egypt to the southwest. It has a total land area of 6,020 square kilometres (2,320 sq mi) while its population exceeds five million people. Its proclaimed capital is Jerusalem, while Ramallah serves as its administrative center. Gaza City was its largest city prior to evacuations in 2023.