‘Outside the Box’: Trump Proposes Permanent Resettlement of Gazans

Latest Developments

• ‘Riviera of the Middle East’: During a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on February 4, President Donald Trump proposed permanent resettlement of Gazan civilians in a country outside of the Gaza Strip and for the United States to assume control of Gaza. “I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza,” he said. “They’ve lived like hell … Gaza is not a place for people to be living, and the only reason they want to go back, and I believe this strongly, is because they have no alternative.” Instead, he suggested moving Gazans to a new “good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” in another country and for the United States to take a “long-term ownership” position in Gaza and lead its reconstruction to become “the riviera of the Middle East.”
• ‘Outside the Box’ Idea: Netanyahu, who laid out a more modest vision for Gaza that included Hamas no longer being in control and freeing all the hostages, told Trump that he appreciated his “willingness to think outside the box.” “You see things others refuse to see. You say things others refuse to say, and after the jaws dropped, people scratch their heads and they say, ‘you know, he’s right,’” Netanyahu said. “This is the kind of thinking that will reshape the Middle East and bring peace.” Both leaders said that Trump’s plan for Gaza would not impede a normalization deal with Saudi Arabia.
• Arab Nations Respond Negatively: Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry responded in a statement that contradicted the two leaders, saying that the kingdom’s support for the establishment of a Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital is “firm and unwavering” and that it would “not establish diplomatic relations with Israel without that.” When Trump gave hints of the idea a week earlier, Egypt and Jordan — two countries being pitched as possible destinations for Gazans — and the Arab League slammed Trump’s proposal. On February 5, the United Arab Emirates, an Abraham Accords signatory, expressed its “categorical rejection of any infringement on Palestinians’ unalienable rights, and any attempts at displacement.”

FDD Expert Response

“For centuries, millions of people have crossed borders and continents to make a better life for themselves and their children. Yet when President Trump suggests giving the people of Gaza the same opportunity — with the added benefit of international support and aid — it’s widely condemned. What stood out at Trump’s joint press conference with Prime Minister Netanyahu was his genuine compassion for the Gazans and his determination to improve their lives through a plan that would permit many of them to return once Gaza is rebuilt. Those who oppose this idea are the same people — the United Nations, the pro-Hamas solidarity movement, and many EU governments — committed to keeping the Palestinians in misery in order to wage a continued war against Israel’s legitimacy that is couched in the language of humanitarianism. Thanks to Trump, that mask has now fallen, and the opportunity to reshape the Middle East’s priorities has arisen.” — Mark Dubowitz, CEO

“Gazans have been trapped by Hamas for almost two decades, and now their homes are in ruins as a result of Hamas’s war. Given the choice, the vast majority of Gazans would search for a better life outside of the embattled enclave. Hamas, their Arab neighbors, and the United Nations have made great efforts to prevent Gazans from escaping the war, caging them in a deadly urban combat environment for over a year. President Trump is rejecting the flawed conventional wisdom of the international community and seeing the situation with clear eyes: these people should be free to pursue better lives outside of Gaza.” — Enia Krivine, Senior Director of FDD’s Israel Program and National Security Network

“We have a president who’s been presented with only bad options and wants to break outside a policy box of failed paradigms. His goals seem clear: Keep getting hostages out of Gaza and find an end state that leads to stability, including Saudi-Israel normalization. This is a big idea that shifts the conversation and brings new ideas and stakeholders to the table to find that path forward.” — Richard Goldberg, Senior Advisor

FDD Background and Analysis

“Hamas celebrates,” by Clifford May

“Israel’s Victory Will Be a Success for American Grand Strategy,” by Richard Goldberg

“The legacy of President Trump 2.0,” by Clifford May