In a spirited and rare display of unity, the foreign ministers of five Arab countries have come forth with a resolute joint statement, unequivocally denouncing any efforts to forcibly displace Palestinians from their ancestral lands. It’s a strong, collective rebuke to the controversial proposal laid out by none other than the former US President, Donald Trump.
The document, released over the past weekend, took aim squarely at Trump’s suggestion that Egypt and Jordan should open their doors to Palestinians from the beleaguered Gaza Strip. Why, one might wonder, would such a proposition be met with such a stern response? Precisely because, as articulated by the representatives of Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, the Palestinian Authority, and the Arab League, this plan poses a serious threat to regional stability, potentially fanning the flames of conflict and gravely undermining hopes for a lasting peace in the Middle East.
“We unequivocally affirm our rejection of any attempts that compromise the inalienable rights of the Palestinians,” their statement proclaims, listing a litany of offenses—from settlement activities to annexations, and those egregious attempts to “vacate the land from its owners… in any form or under any circumstances.”
The timing of this meeting is crucial. Trump’s remarks last week portrayed Gaza as a mere “demolition site,” a shocking descriptor for a place ravaged by 15 relentless months of Israeli bombardment, leaving its 2.3 million residents largely homeless. Within this context, his proposal appeared not just insensitive but wildly impractical.
Egypt and Jordan, both nations counted among the United States’ pivotal allies in the region, have already been vocal in their rejection of Trump’s idea for a “clean out” of Gaza. With Jordan housing millions of Palestinians and numerous in Egypt, embracing such a proposition would upend their delicate social fabrics.
Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi added a touch of drama to the discourse, pledging public demonstrations should Trump’s proposal be pushed. “Displacement of the Palestinian people from their land is an injustice that we cannot take part in,” he declared, etching his nation’s stand firmly into the sand.
Despite this clear opposition, Trump repeated his proposal, perhaps with a hint of transactional expectation, “We do a lot for them, and they are going to do it,” he quipped, possibly referring to the extensive US aid that Egypt and Jordan receive—a not-so-veiled reminder of the strings sometimes attached to assistance.
Critics, including analysts and rights advocates, haven’t minced words. Could such a proposal be anything but a form of ethnic cleansing? Yousef Munayyer, serving as the head of the Palestine/Israel programme at the Arab Center Washington DC, had cautioned against normalizing Trump’s “outrageous” remarks, underscoring that they violate fundamental human rights.
His words resonate: “Trump says all kinds of things,” Munayyer noted, suggesting that the pronouncements of the former US president should be approached with a certain degree of scepticism. Are they deeply considered policies, impromptu reactions, or misheard notions from a bustling conversation? The answers vary.
Interestingly, amidst this diplomatic pushback, the foreign ministers have extended an olive branch of sorts. They expressed readiness to collaborate with the Trump administration to secure a just peace across the Middle East, anchored firmly in the two-state solution paradigm. Their vision includes actively participating in an international conference Egypt plans to convene, in partnership with the United Nations, to focus on the reconstruction of Gaza, which lies in desperate need of rebuilding after enduring intense conflict.
The ministers reaffirmed the essential and irreplaceable role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) within Gaza, an organization that remains crucial for the enclave’s recovery and survival in the midst of adversities.
Source: Al Jazeera and news agencies
Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring
