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Why Trump’s Proposal for the People of Gaza is a Logical Approach



Recently, President Donald Trump proposed an intriguing idea: Arab nations should welcome a significant number of Gazans as refugees, with the arrangement potentially being temporary or long-term.

This solution would enable Israel to dismantle the remnants of Hamas, thereby allowing the international community to focus on rebuilding Gaza.

Such a policy would not only improve the chances for peace but would also be a compassionate approach.

While it’s important that Gazans are not forced from their homes, they should be permitted to escape the generations of suffering imposed by the Arab world and their destructive leaders. Additionally, Israelis could provide financial incentives for them to relocate to safer locations.

A prevalent myth in the Israel-Arab conflict is the belief that Palestinians have a profound, historic bond to the land stretching back centuries.

This notion is contentious, especially considering evidence suggests that many Arabs moved to British Palestine from Egypt, Syria, Saudi Arabia, and other regions during the late 19th and early 20th centuries, attracted by the economic development brought by returning Jewish settlers.

As for Gaza, the current population exceeds 2 million, while there were only around 50,000 residents following the rejection of the partition plan by Arab nations in 1947.

For years, the Arabs in Gaza were governed by Egypt, which utilized the territory as a launchpad for Fedayeen attacks against Israel. (The events of Oct. 7 were a peak of this historical pattern.)

Today, many Gazans often express a desire to eventually return to their homes in Jaffa or elsewhere in what is now Israel. The United Nations operates an entire agency dedicated to “Palestine Refugees in the Near East,” despite the fact that such a nation has never existed.

How long can a Palestinian be classified as a refugee in Gaza by the UN? Indefinitely.

The UN establishes permanent “camps” — essentially thriving cities — for the descendants of those displaced by conflicts initiated by Arabs over 70 years ago. In contrast, there are over 2 million ethnic Arabs living as citizens within the Jewish state.

If Gazans are regarded simply as refugees, why can’t they resettle in other Arab countries?

The harsh reality is that they are never going to be able to return to Israel. Persuading them otherwise, as many from the Western left and other groups do, only contributes to an ongoing cycle of anger and conflict.

Jordan’s foreign minister firmly stated following Trump’s comments: “Our rejection of the displacement of Palestinians is steadfast and will not change. Jordan is for Jordanians, and Palestine is for Palestinians.”

The flaw in this statement lies in the reminder that Jordan is in fact “Palestine.”

With over 70% of its population being Palestinians, Jordan occupies territory originally allocated during the British Palestine Mandate for the establishment of a new Arab state to coexist alongside a Jewish state.

We essentially have a two-state solution; it’s just ignored.

Moreover, why should Western countries be the only ones obligated to take in people fleeing conflicts in the Middle East?

When Muslims migrate to Europe or the United States, it is often lauded as a moral responsibility. Meanwhile, Israel has provided refuge to Jewish individuals from Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Arab countries should engage in this noble cause by welcoming their own displaced citizens. Furthermore, Western nations should apply pressure on them to do what is right.

Henry Kissinger once remarked that Donald Trump, perhaps unknowingly, was “one of those figures in history who marks the end of an era and challenges its old pretenses.”

It’s clear that many of Trump’s statements, unencumbered by traditional policy discussions, often lead to shifts in policy dynamics.

Over the years, through historical revisionism and Washington’s “expertise,” we’ve been conditioned to believe that a Palestinian state is certain. This is far from guaranteed.

There are countless stateless minorities globally, many of whom have stronger claims to nationhood.

Thus, proposing that Gazans would be better positioned in their ancestral homelands is a rational suggestion.

David Harsanyi is a senior writer at the Washington Examiner. Follow him on Twitter @davidharsanyi



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