Trump's Gaza proposal ignites global outcry and concern
- We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings, - said Donald Trump on Tuesday. Critics argue that Trump not only supports ethnic cleansing in Gaza, but also proposes taking over the territory by force, which contravenes the United Nations Charter.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived at the White House on Tuesday. Following one-on-one talks with Donald Trump, both leaders met with journalists. - We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site - said the U.S. President. He assured that the United States aims to assist in rebuilding Gaza, which is in the interest of all Arab countries because "we all want peace."
- I think it's something that could change history, - echoed Benjamin Netanyahu.
The fallout from Trump's words
The President's statements reverberated globally. The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, promptly responded, urging world leaders to respect the aspirations of Palestinians, who cherish living in the Gaza Strip.
"We consider it a recipe for creating chaos and tension in the region. Our people in the Gaza Strip will not allow these plans to pass," said a representative of Hamas in a statement sent to the AFP agency.
On Wednesday morning, in a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saudi Arabia expressed its unwavering and steadfast support for the Palestinian state. This contradicts Trump's claim that Saudi Arabia does not insist on the creation of a Palestinian state.
Calls for ethnic cleansing?
The Al Jazeera online portal quotes an Australian senator of Aboriginal descent, Lidia Thorpe, who described Trump's comments about "taking over" Gaza as "a blatant call for ethnic cleansing and colonization."
Similarly, U.S. Representative Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, commented. "This president is openly calling for ethnic cleansing while sitting next to a genocidal war criminal," - she wrote on social media.
"He’s totally lost it. A U.S. invasion of Gaza would lead to the slaughter of thousands of U.S. troops and decades of war in the Middle East. It’s like a bad, sick joke," - echoed her party colleague, Senator Chris Murphy.
In 1994, UN experts defined ethnic cleansing as "a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic or religious group from certain geographic areas."
"Insane plan"
Abed Ayoub, Executive Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), stated that Trump's proposal is "terryfying". Ayoub added that the U.S. President's comments are "insane," but should not be disregarded. He also emphasized that initially, it was Israel that planned to ethnically cleanse Gaza.
- It would go against all norms and international law. This isn’t something that would be permitted to happen - said Ayoub to Al Jazeera. - But at this point, you’ve got to ask yourself, if you look at the past year and a half: How much does the international community, including Israel, really care about international law and norms? - he added.
Nancy Okail, President of the Centre for International Policy, indicated that Trump's proposal resembles ideas from "the darkest chapters of history".
The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) criticized Trump's plan, stating that if the U.S. President truly seeks peace in the region, he must work towards ending the oppression of Palestinians. - Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump’s call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute non-starter - said CAIR Executive Director Nihad Awad in a statement.
Trump announced that he intends to visit Israel, Gaza, and Saudi Arabia soon. According to reports, he is also expected to meet with King Abdullah of Jordan at the White House next week.
