No one could fault you for branding this so-called “plan” a second Balfour Declaration, or perhaps even a second Nakba. Beyond its utter indifference to Palestinian identity and dignity, Trump seems oblivious to the fact that his honoured guest at the unveiling, Benjamin Netanyahu, bears a heavy responsibility for turning Gaza into a demolition site.
If this eye-popping intervention from Trump was merely a bargaining tactic – as some, desperate for logic in the proposal, are claiming – it has already backfired spectacularly. Enormous damage has been inflicted on the already fragile peace process, not to mention US prestige in the region and beyond. More practically, the plan actively undermines every policy objective the Trump administration claims to hold dear in the Middle East.
Indeed, this proposal contradicts every regional priority Trump supposedly embraced since running for office. It would fuel another devastating round of fighting in Gaza; it would imperil Israel’s painstakingly constructed peace with Egypt and Jordan; and it would revive Iran as a dominant security actor, emboldening its narrative of resistance.
Worse still for US interests, it hands China and Russia a golden opportunity to position themselves as champions of the region and the Global South, ready to confront American neocolonialism at every turn.
Even if this were just Trump’s idea of a negotiating tactic, it’s the most catastrophically ill-conceived one in the conflict’s history. While, in the end, much of it may never actually come to pass, it is already fundamentally altering the status quo on the ground, and not for the better.
For neighbouring countries, this isn’t some abstract political game – it’s a matter of life and death. The forced displacement of Palestinians into other countries would destabilise their already precarious region, fuel extremism, and transform other territories into launchpads for Palestinian attacks on Israel. Their peace treaties with Israel, decades in the making, would be effectively tossed into the dustbin of history.
It’s no wonder, then, that UN experts* have condemned in the strongest possible terms Trump’s shocking threats to “take over” and “own” Gaza and forcibly relocate the Palestinian population, using military force if necessary.
“Such blatant violations by a major power would break the global taboo on military aggression and embolden other predatory countries to seize foreign territories, with devastating consequences for peace and human rights globally,” the Special Rapporteurs, who are part of what are known as the Special Procedures of UN’s Human Rights Council rightly stated In a press release.
“Implementing the US proposal would shatter the most fundamental rules of the international order and the United Nations Charter since 1945…It would return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest,” the experts added.
“It is manifestly illegal to invade and annex foreign territory by force, to forcibly deport its population, and to deprive the Palestinian people of their inalienable right to self-determination…Such violations would replace the international rule of law…International law aims to stop predatory countries from violently colonising foreign lands and subjugating their populations.”
This plan, make no mistake, is a gift on a silver platter to every extremist and radical group in the region. In the absence of hope and in the face of unrelenting oppression, there is only violence and hatred. Such hatred has already bred extremism, fostered radicalism, and consumed far too much of the region.
Even playing devil’s advocate, even if we were to disregard international law and the legitimate historical rights of the Palestinian people – as Trump’s plan seems to suggest – this proposal poses a grave risk to core US interests in the region. Destabilisation in Jordan, for example, elevates the risk to the United States. US policy toward the Levant since the Clinton administration has invested heavily in, and relied upon, stability in Jordan. If an annexation of the West Bank by Israel were to push Jordan over the edge, the US and Israel would both lose a cornerstone on which they currently rely. Trump has pledged to withdraw US troops from Iraq and Syria, yet if Jordan is in chaos, that campaign promise becomes nearly impossible to fulfil. Militias continue to operate with relative impunity in Iraq, Israel’s actions have rendered Lebanon even more precarious, and the ongoing conflict threatens to plunge Syria into deeper chaos. Although Trump campaigned on ending forever wars in the region, unless he reins in Israel, he may soon find himself overseeing an even greater regional conflagration that could easily drag the United States back in, particularly if American service members are killed and the American public demands retribution.
The only viable path forward remains the creation of an independent State of Palestine – even if demilitarised – peacefully coexisting with Israel, within the 1967 borders, and Palestine’s full-fledged membership in the United Nations. The two-State solution, however imperfect, remains the only credible option for a lasting peace. It’s time for both Israeli and Palestinian leaders to demonstrate genuine political accountability and the necessary goodwill to reach a historic peace agreement.
A critical first step would be maintaining the current ceasefire agreement and assisting Egyptian efforts to rebuild the Gaza Strip. We must also establish a committee to run Gaza consisting of 10 to 15 politically independent technocrats, primarily from Gaza, who will administer education, health, the economy, and aid and reconstruction efforts with the assistance of international actors and negotiators.
Instead of enforcing an injustice, let’s work together – Egypt, the US, Palestinians, and Israelis who believe in peace – to put an end to this tragic conflict once and for all. Peaceful coexistence is still within reach, but it requires courage, vision, and a commitment to justice, not the misguided “plan” currently on offer.
Mohamed Samir Khedr is a journalist and political analyst, specializing in geopolitical conflicts in the Middle East, and Africa. For the past decade, he has covered Egypt’s and the MENA region’s financial, business, and geopolitical updates. Currently, he is the Executive Editor of Daily News Egypt.
