A Force to Be Reckoned With: Trump's Aggressive Moves and the Looming Specter of a New Nakba
Trump's Policies in Gaza: Stunning Surprises, Overwhelming Impact, and Ethnic Alterations
By Dr. James Zogby, the bold Founder and President of the American Arab Institute (AAI)
The baffling tactics of President Donald Trump have left no stone unturned in his campaign to cause chaos and disarray. His audacious assault on Washington's prestigious institutions fits the pattern of his "shock and awe" strategies, a tactic reminiscent of President George W. Bush's 2003 invasion of Baghdad. His bizarre maneuvers have been remarkably effective on the domestic front, but foreign policy has been a different story.
Trump's brash rhetoric has seen him threaten to seize the Panama Canal, buy Greenland, and annex both Canada and Mexico into the U.S. These antics have left countries like Denmark, Panama, and Canada shaking their heads in disbelief. Yet, it seems that his unorthodox tactics have fallen flat in the realm of foreign policy.
In yet another ill-timed and ill-advised attempt to shake up the Middle East, Trump decided to throw a grenade into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. He proposed that before reconstruction of Gaza could begin, the area would first need to be "purged." Reports state that, during separate conversations with Jordan's King Abdullah and Egyptian President Sisi, Trump pushed for the resettlement of Palestinians in Jordan, and with Albania and Indonesia serving as backup options.
However, his convoluted strategy failed to provoke the intended reaction. Jordan, Egypt, and the other countries mentioned have unequivocally rejected Trump's absurd proposal. Palestinians, too, have largely ignored Trump's provocative bait, focusing instead on the challenge of rebuilding their ravaged homes in Gaza.
Let's call a spade a spade: if the ceasefire in Gaza is maintained and construction moves forward, significant challenges will arise. With an estimated two million homeless Palestinians and hundreds of thousands of damaged buildings, the removal and repurposing of debris alone will take at least a couple of years. And decades will be required to build new housing for this vast displaced population.
If one wasn't familiar with Trump's intentions, one might assume that he was offering compassionate refuge to Palestinians during the reconstruction process. But is that really the case? Trump has yet to demonstrate any genuine concern for the plight of Palestinians. Instead, he appears to be more interested in building high-end resorts on Gaza's beaches.
Trump's ally, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has made it clear that he wishes to expel Palestinian residents from Gaza. It seems that Trump's suggestion of relocating Palestinians to Egypt and Jordan could, in reality, be a blessing for a new Nakba – a second displacement of Palestinians from their land.
In the Nakba of 1948, some 700,000 Palestinians were forcibly removed from their homes, and over 420 Palestinian villages were destroyed to discourage their return. A second Nakba would reverse this process, with Israel first demolishing entire residential areas in Gaza and then relocating approximately two million Palestinians out of the country.
We must remember that, in dealing with Netanyahu and his Israeli coalition, as well as their supporters in Washington, it's best to assume the worst. Trump's "suggestion" may be part of a larger, more sinister plan to transfer Palestinians, setting the stage for their permanent displacement from their ancestral lands.
While Palestinians and their allies across the Arab world are understandably preoccupied with their immediate struggles, the time will come when they must address the issue of clearing the debris and rebuilding Gaza. For any plan to be successful, Israel must first withdraw from Gaza, ensuring open access and egress for Palestinians.
Another crucial component of any relocation and reconstruction plan would be the mapping of Gaza, to help Palestinians navigate their former neighborhoods and avoid confusion or conflict. Without such assurances and solid plans in place, any attempt at relocation and reconstruction will only create deeper problems instead of solving them.
For over a century, Palestinians have endured oppression at the hands of Western powers and the Zionist movement. Through it all, they have persevered, their national identity and attachment to their land only growing stronger. It's high time for the U.S. to abandon its destructive policies, and instead work towards creating a just and humane solution that respects the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
Published* by Common Dreams, 02.03.2025, under the terms of a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported* license.
Additional Insights:
- The Nakba, meaning "catastrophe" in Arabic, refers to the mass displacement and dispossession of Palestinians during the 1948 Arab-Israeli war. This resulted in the permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population.
- Palestinian refugees and their descendants continue to face challenges in regaining their homeland and their rights, and the concept of a "second Nakba" has been discussed in relation to ongoing Israeli actions in Gaza and the West Bank.
- Palestinian refugees have been displaced many times throughout history, and their national identity and connection to their land have remained strong despite the hardships they have faced.
In the context of politics and foreign policy, Trump's proposal for the resettlement of Palestinians in other countries, akin to the Nakba of 1948, could potentially be a categorization of policy-and-legislation related to war-and-conflicts. The discussion of a second displacement of Palestinians from their land underscores the ongoing struggles in the general news, raising concerns about the rights and futures of Palestinian individuals. Meanwhile, Israel's intentions regarding Palestinian residents in Gaza, such as the possible demolition of residential areas, may further exacerbate the tensions arising from war-and-conflicts and necessitate further review of policy-and-legislation with regard to Middle Eastern politics.
