M
ADRID - Donald Trump's latest remarks on the Gaza Strip have sparked concerns about his mental state, with his suggestion to expel two million Palestinians and transform the region into a luxury resort dubbed the "Riviera of the Middle East" being particularly alarming. This is not an isolated incident; Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner has already taken steps to profit from Gaza's reconstruction, backed by Saudi capital.
During a talk at Harvard last year, Kushner hinted at his vision for the region's future: waterfront properties in Gaza could be valuable if people focused on developing livelihoods. He also bluntly stated that Israel would do everything possible to get Palestinians out and then clean up the area. Trump echoed these sentiments during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's visit to the White House, saying Palestinians shouldn't return to Gaza because "that place has been hell."
Trump's proposal is nothing more than a call for ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, an idea that has received immediate support from the Israeli government and media. The Jerusalem Post published an opinion column by Martin Oliner, who defended Trump's plan and argued that all Gaza residents bore collective responsibility for Hamas' attack during its "Al-Aqsa Flood" operation.
This perspective highlights the colonialist and imperialist nature of Zionism, which has historically centered on territorial control through the expulsion of native populations. As Russian Zionist leader Ze'ev Jabotinsky wrote in 1923: "Zionist colonization must either be terminated or carried out in defiance of the will of the native population."
Gaza needs to be rebuilt after nearly two-thirds of its structures were demolished or destroyed, leaving behind 42 million tons of rubble. However, any reconstruction plan must not come at the cost of forced expulsion of Palestinians, repeating the tragedy of the 1948 Nakba.
Trump's words expose his imperialist vision, which disregards the Palestinian people and their connection to their land. His proposal focuses solely on expulsion, cloaked in the euphemism of "relocation." This ethnic cleansing is promoted by Trump, the Israeli government, and ordinary citizens, ultimately aiming to expel Palestinians and seize their land.
As one Palestinian father of six said: "I would rather die where I am. Even if they cut me and my children into pieces, I will not leave." The so-called "relocation" of Palestinians will not succeed; having failed through genocide, Israel and its supporters will find that Palestinians continue to resist, refusing to abandon their land or sever ties with it.
