Leave Gaza to Palestinians
Trump suggested the US could take over Gaza, sparking outrage over potential displacement of Palestinians, amidst criticism of his foreign policy approach.
President Donald Trump, who has pledged to end America’s wars on foreign soil, told a joint news conference with Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the US could take over the Gaza Strip and develop it as the “Riviera of the Middle East”, adding to the list of territories such as Greenland and the Panama Canal that he wants to wrest control of. His words, sometimes befitting a real estate tycoon more than a president of the US, would have been music to Netanyahu’s ears, because a precondition for such a takeover was that two million Palestinians would have to move out of Gaza. This proposal, outlandish according to many, welcomed by Netanyahu, and immediately opposed by Palestine and its allies, only added insult to the injuries of the Palestinians, who have watched close to 50,000 people die in the Israeli attacks of the past 15 months and could have significant ramifications for power relations in West Asia.
In several ways, the ill-thought-through Abraham Accords, a brainwave of Trump 1.0, which completely skirted the need for a two-State solution, are responsible for the existing situation in the region. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Qatar and the UAE have jointly rejected Trump’s proposal for the people of Gaza to be moved out to other countries. There are few precedents for Trump’s plan since World War II. The Allied powers occupied Germany after its surrender and US presence was noticeable in Japan after the war. The US occupation of Iraq and Afghanistan had the fig leaf of a UN mandate. It is not clear how Trump’s plan will fare against international law.
Close to 75% of United Nations members recognise the State of Palestine, with Gaza as an integral part. Simply put, Gaza is not a piece of real estate but the homeland of a people: Their right to a nation is recognised by most nations, including India. State-driven expulsion of people from their homeland will be deemed as nothing short of cultural genocide, and the repercussions won’t be limited to Gaza, Palestinians or even West Asia. Washington, hopefully, will see reason in the criticism of the Trump plan and back off. India, which has a large migrant workforce in West Asia and sees the region as crucial to its energy security, will have to walk the tightrope between its friends in West Asia and the US-Israel axis.
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