
US President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One as he travels from Las Vegas to Miami on January 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
THE TIMES OF ISRAEL | Published January 26, 2025
Testing regional taboo, US president suggests Arab nations help ‘build housing where they can live in peace for a change,’ says he raised issue with Abdullah, plans to do so with Sissi
US President Donald Trump said Saturday he’d like to see Jordan, Egypt and other Arab nations increase the number of Palestinian refugees they are accepting from the Gaza Strip — potentially moving out enough of the population to “just clean out” the war-torn area and create a virtual clean slate.
The proposal has to date been a red line for Arab states, particularly Jordan and Egypt, which have viewed the mass migration of Palestinians to their countries as a potential existential threat. They have pointed to Israel’s refusal to publicly commit to allowing any Palestinians who leave the Strip to later return, and don’t want to be seen as complicit in an exile of Palestinians.
The fear of being unable to return has also deterred many Palestinians from leaving. Some did try during the war that started October 7, 2023, and over 100,000 succeeded in entering Egypt, though they were forced to pay exorbitant fees in order to do so and have largely not received any assistance upon arrival, as Cairo refuses to recognize them as refugees.
The Biden administration also considered the idea of temporarily relocating some of the population early on in the war, as it sought to move Palestinians out of harm’s way, but so adamant were Jordan and Egypt in their refusal that it quickly shelved the notion.
But Trump, known for often snubbing traditional foreign policy norms, sought to bring back the idea of mass Palestinian migration to neighboring countries on Saturday as his new administration tries to sustain the nascent ceasefire in Gaza and plan for the Strip’s reconstruction, while over two million people remain in a territory overwhelmingly destroyed by the past 15 months of war.
Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi, right, greets Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, center, and King Abdullah II of Jordan, during a conference at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo, Egypt, Sunday, Feb. 12, 2023. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)
During a 20-minute question-and-answer session with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump described Gaza as a “demolition site” after the Israel-Hamas war. He said he had spoken to Jordan’s King Abdullah II about the issue and expected to talk to Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi on Sunday.
The White House readout on the call with the Jordanian monarch was light on details, saying the pair “discussed the importance of regional peace, security, and stability.”
Trump filled in some of the details on Air Force One, saying he had told Abdullah, “I’d love you to take on more because I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now and it’s a mess, it’s a real mess. I’d like him to take people.”
When asked if this was a temporary or long-term suggestion, Trump said: “Could be either.”
“You’re talking about probably a million and half people, and we just clean out that whole thing. You know, over the centuries it’s had many, many conflicts, that site. And I don’t know, something has to happen,” Trump said.
In October, during his presidential campaign, the former real estate developer said that war-torn Gaza could be “better than Monaco” if it were “rebuilt the right way.”
“It’s literally a demolition site right now. Almost everything is demolished and people are dying there,” Trump said in his Saturday comments. “So I’d rather get involved with some of the Arab nations and build housing at a different location where they can maybe live in peace for a change.
An aerial photograph taken by a drone shows Palestinians walking through the destruction in Rafah, Gaza Strip, January 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Jehad Alshrafi)
Israeli far-right leaders celebrated Trump’s comments.
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SOURCE: www.timesofisrael.com
RELATED: Trump floats ‘clean out’ Gaza plan, says expect Egypt and Jordan to take more Palestinian refugees
US President Donald Trump called for Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations to take in more Palestinian refugees from Gaza following the ceasefire after Israel’s campaign in the region. He also suggested relocating Palestinians to “clear out” the Gaza Strip to address long-standing conflicts.
President Donald Trump. Images- AP
FIRST POST | Published January 26, 2025
US President Donald Trump said on Saturday that Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations should take in more Palestinian refugees from Gaza following the ceasefire between the Palestinian armed group Hamas and Israel. He also proposed relocating the Palestinians to “clear out” the Gaza Strip.
“I’d like Egypt to take people. I’d like Jordan to take people. You’re talking about probably a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing. Over the centuries, that area has seen many, many conflicts. Something has to happen,” Trump said.
Trump dials Jordan King, praises humane approach to hosting Palestinian refugees
Trump also made a phone call to King Abdullah II of Jordan on this matter on Saturday.
He described the call as very good and praised Jordan’s humane approach to hosting Palestinian refugees, suggesting they take in more. “He’s a friend of mine, and we’ve had a great relationship over the years. He’s done an excellent job housing millions of Palestinians in a very humane way. I praised him for that,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One.
“I said to him, I’d love you to take on more (Palestinian people from Gaza). I’m looking at the whole Gaza Strip right now, and it’s a mess. I’d like him to take people. I’d like Egypt to take people,” he added.
Trump also mentioned that he plans to speak with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi about the matter.
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SOURCE: www.firstpost.com
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