Trump's Latest Gaza Policy Sparks Discord Among U.S. Arab Allies, According to K.C. Singh
In January 2017, President Donald Trump inherited two international crises - one in Ukraine and another in the Gaza Strip. One of his most controversial proposals regarding the latter was the relocation of Gaza's Palestinian population to another country while the United States redeveloped Gaza into the "Riviera of the Middle East."
This proposal, announced at a Trump-Netanyahu press conference, was met with a mixed response. While Israel's Prime Minister Netanyahu praised the idea, several Arab and European states withdrew their support or criticized the proposal. No country declared willingness to accept the Palestinian residents.
The proposal was a departure from the two-state solution, which has global support, including from past US Presidents. The two-state solution aims to establish an independent Palestinian state living side-by-side with Israel.
The Gaza proposal forced even long-time American allies like the UAE to side with Saudi Arabia, which had resisted normalising ties with Israel unless the pathway to a Palestinian state was clear. The rejection of the proposal by Egypt, Jordan, major European nations, the United Nations, the Arab League, and members of the Gulf Coordination Council further solidified this stance.
The proposed displacement of Gaza residents was met with fear by Palestinians, who see it as a "fresh nakba" or catastrophe, reminiscent of their displacement in 1948. The Israeli repression caused the First Intifada in 1987, which lasted till the 1991 Madrid Peace Conference. The 1967 Arab-Israeli war resulted in the eviction of nearly 75,000 Gaza residents, representing a quarter of the population.
The 1993 Oslo Accords gave the Palestinians a semi-autonomous though moth-eaten state, but the electoral victory of Hamas in 2007 created permanent fissures in the Palestinian movement. The Israeli blockade of Gaza, controlling access and airspace, has made it a de facto open jail.
Trump's strategy for ending the Gaza conflict initially involved supporting a ceasefire, but he later lifted sanctions on far-right individuals and settlers' groups in Israel, leading to increased targeting of Palestinians in the West Bank.
Notably, Saudi Prince Turki bin Faisal suggested that if people have to be moved from Gaza, they should be moved to their original homes in Israel. However, this proposal faced significant opposition from both Palestinians and Israelis.
Meanwhile, Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamanei met with a Hamas delegation, calling the ceasefire their victory against Israel and the US. The October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel undermined the Abraham Accords, negotiated during Mr Trump's first term, to further normalise Israel-Arab relations.
Trump's tenure was marked by several unconventional moves, such as unexpectedly seeking to annex Canada, the Panama Canal, and Greenland, and imposing tariffs on Mexican and Canadian exports. These actions, along with the Gaza proposal, have raised questions about his approach to international conflicts and relations.
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