Community leaders react to Trump plan to relocate Gazans

Peak Australian Jewish groups have welcomed a fresh approach to considering the future of the Gaza Strip but expressed concern over US President Donald Trump’s comments suggesting residents there should be relocated elsewhere.

Addressing reporters at the White House after meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday, local time, Trump said he wants the US to “take over” Gaza and “own” the Strip in order to rebuild the coastal enclave after it was levelled in the past 16 months of war.

“We’ll love it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous bombs and other weapons on the site… and get rid of the destroyed buildings [and] create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing,” the President said.

Gaza “should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people,” Trump said, saying its population of roughly 1.8 million people should be transferred to countries “of interest with humanitarian hearts.”

He said the “world’s people” would be the ones to live in Gaza once the US finishes rebuilding it, and that while the Palestinians could be among them, the enclave will become an “international” hub.

“I don’t want to be cute. I don’t want to be a wise guy,” Trump said and then referred to Gaza as potentially “the Riviera of the Middle East. This could be something that could be so magnificent.”

Commenting on the remarks, Executive Council of Australian Jewry (ECAJ) president Daniel Aghion said on Wednesday, “We favour the comprehensive reconstruction of Gaza as a peaceful, prosperous territory as was envisaged following Israel’s unilateral withdrawal in 2005 and was wholly thwarted by Hamas, which will first need to be completely dismantled and have no role in the administration or governance of Gaza.

“However, the question of whether some Gazans choose to remain in the territory through this process, temporarily relocate or are permanently absorbed by neighbouring states is ultimately a decision for those affected, most of all, Gaza’s civilian population.”

The Australia/Israel & Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) likewise expressed “strong concern over any hint that the US President is suggesting forcibly evacuating Gazans from the area”.

“President Trump’s offer for the US to take leadership over the reconstruction of Gaza could be important not only in its own right, but especially if they are part of a larger US effort to rethink and reshape stale old approaches to the region that have led to nothing but repeated cycles of death, destruction and suffering,” AIJAC executive director Colin Rubenstein said.

“However”, he added, “the details of Mr. Trump’s proposals are still not fully developed, and some of them are controversial and potentially quite problematic, so we reserve judgement on those propositions until more specifics become available.

“Obviously, Mr Trump’s most controversial idea is in regards to the relocation of Gazans to facilitate rebuilding there – a process that is indeed going to be very complicated and difficult, given the remaining Hamas tunnels as well as booby traps and unexploded ordinance, and Hamas’ tradition of stealing aid.

“However, any move to forcibly evacuate Gazans – as some of Mr Trump’s comments seem to suggest – should be unthinkable and if that is any part of Mr Trump’s plans, this idea should be dropped immediately.”

WITH TIMES OF ISRAEL