US President Donald Trump has once again doubled down on his Gaza Reconstruction plan in which for United States would own the enclave and its Palestinian residents moved into Egypt and Jordan.
This came as Trump spoke with Jordan’s King Abdullah, who said that Arab states will come to the US with their own Gaza plan.
Following the meeting, both Jordan and Egypt rejected the idea of the displacement of Palestinians and said that they wanted the reconstruction of Gaza without the enforced removal of its inhabitants.
Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi said that there is an Arab plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing its people.
Egypt said that it will present a proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza that does not include the enforced displacement of Palestinians from their homes.
In a Foreign Ministry statement, Egypt affirmed its intention to present an integrated vision for the reconstruction of the Strip in a manner that ensures the “permanence of the Palestinian people on their land and in a manner consistent with the legitimate and legal rights of this people.”
It also expressed its eagerness to “cooperate with the US administration under President Donald Trump to reach a comprehensive and just peace in the region.”
Separately, Saudi Arabia denounced “extremist” Israeli comments advocating the displacement of Palestinians.
In a meeting chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi cabinet stressed that lasting peace in the Middle East can only be achieved through a two-state solution.
The cabinet emphasised its “categorical rejection of extremist Israeli statements suggesting the forced displacement of Palestinians” and reiterated “the centrality of the Palestinian cause to Saudi Arabia.”
The Saudi Press Agency quoted a government statement as saying “Permanent peace will not be achieved unless the principle of peaceful coexistence is accepted through a two-state solution.”
Last week, Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu suggested Saudi Arabia has “vast lands” where a Palestinian state could be established.
King’s Response In Line With Arab Leaders’ Firm Rejection Of Gaza Reconstruction Plan
According to Giorgio Cafiero, a political analyst at Gulf State Analytics, the Jordanian King’s response remained in line with Arab leaders’ firm rejection of Trump’s Gaza reconstruction plan.
“The King of Jordan is making it clear that the Arab countries are going to come together with a unified message delivered to the Trump administration. It’s very clear the Arab governments consider Trump’s idea to be a total non-starter.”
Giorgio Cafiero
Speaking to a news agency, Cafiero noted that King Abdullah II remained calm during his visit with Trump but it’s obvious that Jordan, along with the rest of the Arab world, firmly opposes the US president’s plan to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza. “I think it’s pretty clear that the Jordanian leader does not want to have any sort of public feud with Donald Trump,” Cafiero said.
He stated that when the King was meeting with Trump, “he was clearly uncomfortable, but he was very diplomatic.”
He stressed that if Trump’s plan is implemented, it would certainly lead to major political crises in both Egypt and Jordan, “threatening the survival of their governments.”
He added that the influx of a massive number of Palestinian refugees would pose an existential crisis, “huge threats to the ruling governments.”
“And so, many other Arab countries have high stakes in stability prevailing in Egypt and Jordan.
“So I think the message prevailing from all of these Arab governments is the forced displacement of the Palestinians into Egypt, Jordan or some Gulf Cooperation Council states crosses a red line. And I think the Arab states will be very firm in this position.”
Giorgio Cafiero
Some observers believe that Trump’s Gaza plan is a negotiating tactic and that Arab states will be able to come up with a counteroffer.
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