Author: Unknown
Published on: 05/02/2025 | 13:10:04
AI Summary:
Palestinians view such plans as ethnic cleansing, an attempt to drive them from their homeland after Israel's 15-month offensive against Hamas rendered much of it uninhabitable. Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan — close U.S. Allies at peace with Israel — have condemned such plans and roundly rejected Trump's suggestion that they take in more Palestinian refugees. Saudi Arabia issued a rare overnight statement rejecting the idea of transfer and reiterating that it won't normalize relations with Israel Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations suggested that if Trump's goal is to send the Palestinians to a “happy, nice place” they should return to their ancestral homes in Israel. The ideal of remaining on one's land despite threats of expulsion is at the heart of Palestinians' struggle and self-identity. Both Hamas and the Western-backed Palestinian Authority have vehemently condemned Trump’s proposal. Egypt and Jordan have repeatedly rejected previous proposals to resettle Palestinians within their borders Trump suggested wealthy Gulf countries could pay to resettle the Palestinians. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have joined Egypt and Jordan in rejecting any transfer plans. Yair Lapid, a fierce critic of Netanyahu, did not object to the idea. He said it was too early to react to Trump’s proposal since there are no concrete details. The current phase of the Gaza ceasefire, in which Hamas is to release 33 hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners, ends in early March. Trump's proposal is an opening gambit in a bargaining process aimed at eventually securing the kind of Middle East mega-deal he says he is seeking. It was only last week that Trump flirted with the possibility of Israel annexing parts of the occupied West Bank before the idea was shelved. There could be more clarity when the shock wears off, and when Trump meets with Jordan's King Abdullah II at the White House next week.
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