US President Donald Trump announced a proposal that the United States "take over" the Gaza Strip at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (February 4th) at the White House. He outlined a plan for American "ownership" of that enclave and its development in the "Riviera of the Middle East."
His administration officials say the proposal is a "generous offer" to rebuild Gaza and would in that case the Palestinians temporarily displaced from that territory.
Foreign policy journalist, Boško Jakšić, says for "Vreme" that this is in some way a confirmation that Donald Trump perceives the whole world as one global real estate market. And that's not new.
"Those reports about turning Gaza into the Riviera were last year as well. They appeared with the ambitions of Jared Kushner, the same one who is building a new building here instead of the General Staff, and that is important because the essence of Trump's foreign policy is to conclude business contracts and earn money that will return to America," explains Jakšić.
In the case of Gaza, adds the "Vremena" interlocutor, this is more than cynical because it implies emptying Gaza of people so that they can then build five- and seven-star hotels.
"Not only is it cruel to the Palestinians and absolutely inhumane, but it is also completely shocking that the president of a power that proudly calls itself the leader of the free world would even come up with such an idea and announce it publicly." "I haven't heard something more cynical, destructive and destructive in a long time," emphasizes Jakšić.
Message from Israel
This is nothing new for the Israelis because, says Jaksic, the Israeli right, which is against the creation of a Palestinian state, constantly demands the annexation of the West Bank and demands that Jewish settlements be returned to the Gaza Strip from where they withdrew in 2005.
"Thus, the new colonization of the Gaza Strip - Jewish in the north, would be accompanied in the south by Trump's Riviera," explains the foreign policy journalist.
Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said on Thursday (February 6th) that he has ordered the military to prepare plans for large numbers of Palestinians to begin leaving the Gaza Strip via land crossings, as well as sea and air routes. He hailed Trump's ""a bold plan" for the residents of Gaza to leave the territory, which has been devastated by Israeli ground and air strikes targeting Hamas militants.
"I see that the Israelis announced today that they are in the process of preparing for a 'voluntary' emigration of Palestinians from Gaza, which is absolutely out of the question because no one will voluntarily evacuate there, regardless of all the poor people in that area," points out Boško Jakšić.
Palestinians say - we are not leaving the enclave
What the Palestinians say is that they will not leave the enclave.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas asked the United Nations to "protect the Palestinians and their inalienable rights." He assessed that Trump's plan is a "serious violation of international law."
Trump's plan was also criticized by Hamas, which accused the US of trying to expel Palestinians from their territory. They stated that this proposal is "a recipe for causing chaos and tension in the region."
The international community also strongly condemned Trump's proposal.
Jakšić says that the attempted forced eviction will lead to a new war.
"If the goal is to physically remove the Palestinians from the Gaza Strip during a prolonged war, then indeed Prime Minister Netanyahu, who has already been indicted for war crimes before the International Criminal Court, and Israel absolutely must be accused of genocide before the International Court of Justice, which is now considering the indictment for genocide. That would be pure genocide, because I think the world has a moral obligation to prevent it."
Jakišić concludes: "What could be a good lesson from this statement by Trump is that those who adore him and glorify and praise him, like our president, understand who they are dealing with."
