Zionists should reject Trump's plan for Gaza
Other than genocide, this is the worst solution possible
It’s been difficult to shake President Trump's recent proposal to forcibly remove Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Egypt or Jordan so he can turn it into an international resort. The startling support of the plan from Zionists—supporters of Israel—showed a troubling ignorance.
The historical catalyst for Palestinians’ circumstances was the Nakba in 1948. This event has been the core issue for Palestinians seeking justice, especially since the late-20th century. According to Israeli historian Benny Morris’s analysis of the Nakba, many Palestinian refugees were moved to other Palestinian territories which were outlined in the UN partition. Some left voluntarily to avoid danger, while wealthier elites often abandoned their communities before anyone realized. This, of course, isn’t the whole story. Nevertheless, it’s somehow an improved scenario than the idea of the IDF removing Palestinians and forcibly placing them in a country that doesn’t want them as a precursor to Trump’s real estate utopia.
The events of ‘48 severely damaged relations between Israel, Palestinians, the Arab League, and the international community (the U.S. wasn’t an “ally” of Israel until the mid ‘60’s). Despite changes in territorial boundaries and status over the years, two things Palestinians have consistently desired are autonomy and a sense of justice, even if violence is utilized to achieve it. This has been the primary obstacle to any resolution— not an innate longing to kill Jews. Zionists apparently don’t understand this.
Egypt and Jordan don’t want Palestinians because they support the Palestinian cause: 1) the establishment of a Palestinian state and 2) the right of return to Israel for as many Palestinians as possible. They have not been willing to accept even a few thousand Palestinian refugees during the Israel-Hamas war. President Sisi of Egypt implies the reason for this in his assessment of Trump’s plan: it would be an “act of injustice.” If these Arab countries were to fulfill the Zionist plan, as their people would see it, the entire Palestinian cause the Arab League has been fighting for would be wasted. Furthermore, both Egypt and Jordan have historically dealt with their own security concerns regarding domestic terrorism and infiltrations into Israel from Palestinian extremists. But security and popularity among Jordanians and Egyptians are secondary reasons to reject Trump’s plan; the main reason is that Palestinians do not want to leave!
The Palestinian people do not just want peace, as everyone unfortunately claims. Palestinians, like most of us, want justice. They have warred for generations to establish their own country, not abandon it for safety’s sake. The use of violence to these ends has been volatile, and its consistent presence is symbolic of the feud between Palestinians and Israelis: a fundamental disagreement regarding the right of return.
Douglas Murray, the British conservative commentator, and staunch Zionist, attempted to defend Trump’s plan but ultimately made the same mistake he accuses of the anti-Zionist crowd.
“No—the reason why the war shouldn’t end is that it cannot end until the people who started it are defeated. And made to understand they’ve lost. That’s why I was so encouraged by Trump’s comments about clearing the Gaza Strip. His remarks provoked outrage from parts of the Arab world and from progressive circles in Europe and beyond. Some have even called his comments “genocidal,” as if suggesting a population should move is somehow akin to “ethnic cleansing.” But it is not. Recommending that a population relocate is not the same as eliminating them. That should be clear to anyone.”
While Murray makes a valid point about the IDF’s failure to eliminate Hamas—and the necessity of doing so to improve the lives of Palestinians and Israelis—he misses the larger issue.
The problem isn’t whether the ‘Nakba Part II’ plan would be “genocidal” —though it would surely not be a peaceful or voluntary process. The issue is that if the same logic were applied to Israel, Murray and his fellow Zionists would quickly change their tune. For instance, many Zionists condemn the phrase, “From the river to the sea” by anti-Zionists as incitement to violence. But they also suggest if Gaza were cleared out entirely, by force, that would just be a reasonable and necessary step to defeating evil. It makes no sense. Trump’s plan doesn’t need to involve genocide or ethnic cleansing to be wrong. The plan is completely contradictory to the central reason for the continued conflict! And as Zionists should know, Palestinians will do anything to stay in the territory. By supporting Trump’s plan, I fear Zionists will prove to everyone they never cared about Palestinians in the first place.
Trump said he doesn’t understand why Palestinians would want to stay in Gaza: that’s clear to anyone paying attention. One need not defend Hamas nor hate Jews to recognize that Trump’s proposal is profoundly impractical and unjust. It is the worst possible solution short of actual genocide. Zionists would be making a genuine gesture of recognition and understanding to the Palestinian people by rejecting Trump’s plan outright.
It’s not hard to see why Israel would be open—and perhaps even eager—for Trump to take full responsibility for the Gaza Strip and its population. I think they chose to do exactly what Palestinians would do in the same situation: go along with it. Gaza has been a persistent issue for Israeli society for decades, so I get it. Many Zionists argue that Palestinians have forfeited their right to sovereignty because of their violent attempts to expand their territory. However, these extremists will likely only become more motivated. Retributive Gazans are unlikely to challenge U.S. military forces, especially given Trump’s assertion that they won’t be stationed there. Instead, they’ll likely direct their frustration at neighboring Israelis who stood by while Americans took their land.
A large part of my opposition to this proposal stems from the historical reality that Palestinians value the territory more than anything else. If some Palestinians choose to leave Gaza voluntarily, and another country is willing to accept them, I don’t see a problem with that. However, I’m still skeptical about its feasibility. Moving millions of people across desert terrain in essentially an active war zone to a country that may or may not want them is no small feat—and I doubt it will happen without violence. For this plan to succeed, it would need to be widely accepted by Palestinians— and Hamas. Given that they’ve spent nearly a century fighting for their own state, it’s hard to imagine them simply surrendering and trusting Trump and the IDF.
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