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Speaking after his closed-door meeting with Netanyahu, Trump said Israel and the US would “restore calm and stability to the region and expand prosperity, opportunity and hope to our nations and for all people in the Middle East, including the Arab and Muslim nations.”
Permanent displacement of Palestinians
“The only reason the Palestinians want to go back to Gaza is they have no alternative,” he said.
He called on neighbouring nations, including Egypt and Jordan, to take Gazans in — but he didn’t offer any specifics about how such a resettlement process could work or whether any Palestinians had been consulted about his proposal.
‘A recipe for generating chaos and tension’
“We consider them a recipe for generating chaos and tension in the region because the people of Gaza will not allow such plans to pass,” he said.
Forced displacement is generally prohibited under international law, with only a few exceptions, according to the UN.
US ‘takeover’ of Gaza
He said: “I see a long-term ownership position and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East and maybe the entire Middle East.”
Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, a former property dealer, last year said Gaza’s “waterfront property” had the potential to be “very valuable”, suggesting Israel should remove civilians while it “cleans up” the strip.
Peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia
Trump said Saudi Arabia would be “very helpful” and “do what is necessary” to achieve peace in the Middle East.
— With additional reporting by Andrew Chappelle and Reuters news agency.
