On Tuesday, President Donald Trump stunned the world when he proposed that the United States should seize control of the Gaza Strip and redevelop it, vowing to turn the home of 2 million Palestinians into “the Riviera of the Middle East.” He reiterated his support for relocating the population to neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, an illegal act under international law that both countries immediately opposed.
While Trump’s proposal has early support from some in his party, the backlash has only grown both across the country and the global community. Here are some of the initial reactions.
Israeli leaders
Trump made his comments during a joint press conference with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who became the first international leader to visit with the president in his second term. Netanyahu was effusive in his praise for Trump, saying that he is the “greatest friend” of Israel to have ever served in the White House. In response to reporters, Netanyahu appeared open to Trump’s proposal. “I think it’s something that could change history and it’s worthwhile really pursuing this avenue,” he said.
Israeli opposition leaders were generally supportive. Benny Gantz, the leader of the National Unity party, said Trump’s words on Gaza were “creative, original, and interesting thinking” that should be taken into consideration alongside Israel’s other goals related to the ongoing conflict. Yair Lapid, the leader of the Yesh Atid party, said it was “a good press conference for the State of Israel,” but that the details needed to be studied.
Arab and Middle Eastern leaders
Prior to Trump’s press conference, he had suggested that Palestinians be relocated from Gaza to other nations, telling reporters, “You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing.” The president’s words were quickly rejected by the leaders of multiple Arab nations including Egypt, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia, who issued a joint letter condemning the relocation of Palestinians as a threat to peace in the region, per the New York Times.
Those leaders were similarly opposed to Trump’s words this week. On Tuesday, the Saudi foreign ministry issued a statement reiterating the nation’s “firm and unwavering” support for the creation of a Palestinian state and that it would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without it.
BBC reports that Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas also rejected the proposal, saying they will not allow the rights of Palestinians to be “infringed on.”
European allies
U.S. allies also appear opposed to Trump’s proposal to seize control of the Gaza Strip. The Guardian reports that British leader Keir Starmer expressed support for displaced Palestinians to return home while speaking to the House of Commons on Wednesday. “They must be allowed home. They must be allowed to rebuild, and we should be with them in that rebuild on the way to a two-state solution,” he said.
German foreign minister Annalena Baerbock said in a statement that displacing Palestinians citizens from Gaza would be “unacceptable and against international law.” The French foreign ministry issued a statement saying that Paris “reiterates its opposition to any forced displacement of the Palestinian population of Gaza,” per Reuters.
Congressional Republicans
Republican leaders appeared open to Trump’s idea. During a press conference Tuesday, House Speaker Mike Johnson said that he was awaiting the full details, but praised Trump for taking a “bold, decisive action.”
“I think if we could bring control to that situation and bring about a lasting peace there, it would do well for everybody, not just in the region but around the world. It’s a volatile place,” he said.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune didn’t stake out a strong stance in one direction or the other, saying that the president “put some ideas out there” and that Trump ultimately wants a safe and peaceful Middle East.
Kentucky senator Rand Paul signaled that he thought American involvement with Gaza was at odds with Trump’s own campaign promises. “The pursuit for peace should be that of the Israelis and the Palestinians. I thought we voted for America First,” he said on social media.
Others, like Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, quickly embraced Trump’s tone, writing, “Let’s turn Gaza into Mar-a-Lago.”
Congressional Democrats
Democrats in Washington were largely aligned against America potentially taking control of the Gaza Strip. Representative Rashida Tlaib of Michigan, the only Palestinian American in Congress, blasted Trump’s words while taking both major political parties to task. “Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical bullshit because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing. It’s time for my two-state solution colleagues to speak up,” she wrote on social media.
NBC News reports that Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia called the proposal “deranged” while Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire said she didn’t believe the plan was “in America’s best interest.”
In an MSNBC interview, Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland accused Trump of “throwing a match” on an already volatile situation. “He just said that it will be United States policy to forcibly displace 2 million Palestinians from the Gaza Strip. That is ethnic cleansing by another name,” he said.
Trump’s proposal has the backing of at least one Democrat on Capitol Hill. Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a staunch supporter of Israel, told the New York Times that the president’s idea was “provocative,” but that he could get behind an American occupation.
