It’s tough to defend genocide and ethnic cleansing as a negotiation tactic. But many do.
Gaza Critics
- @ComicDaveSmith, 685K followers: Trump has done a lot of good things in the last few weeks but it’s hard to overstate how awful the Gaza idea is. Committing an ethnic cleansing on behalf of Israel, who has wanted exactly that way before Oct 7th, and taking ownership of the region is about as awful an idea as any President has ever had. I hope he reconsiders.
- @DMichaelTripi, political analyst, 52K followers: Apparently it’s supposed to be a “negotiation tactic” but I’ll believe it when I see it. The greater Israel plan appears to be in action. Pathetic.
There are many, if not the majority, still in support. But those inflicted with TDS Type II will defend anything Trump says or does.
While I was working on this post, the Wall Street Journal came out with this analysis.
Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal Splinters MAGA Base
Please consider Trump’s Gaza Takeover Proposal Splinters MAGA Base
The White House tried to sell a skeptical Republican Party and foreign policy establishment on taking over the beleaguered Gaza Strip after President Trump surprised many of his own allies with his plan to rebuild the enclave.
Concerns that Trump’s proposal was both unworkable and unwise bubbled even among Trump’s vocal supporters. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that taxpayers wouldn’t cover the cost of developing the territory and that any Palestinian relocation would be temporary. She also stressed that the president hadn’t committed to sending U.S. troops to the region.
Republicans have lined up to applaud almost every one of Trump’s moves since he took office, defending the president against criticism from Democrats. But Trump’s proposal to take long-term control of Gaza marked a rare moment of discord in a largely unified party.
“We love the president, but our focus in the War Room is East Palestine, not Palestine,” longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon said in an interview. Bannon was referring to his popular podcast, War Room, and the Ohio town that was devastated by the 2023 derailment of a train carrying hazardous waste.
One House Republican lawmaker said Trump’s proposal “just doesn’t make a heck of a lot of sense to me,” adding that the idea could conflict with the GOP’s efforts to cut spending. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R., N.D.), a Trump ally, said, “I think it’s a big, visionary idea that is impractical.”
“I’ve been on the phone with Arabs all day,” said Sen. Lindsey Graham (R., S.C). “That approach, I think, will be very problematic.”
Trump shocked some of his own aides when, standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, he said the U.S. would “take over” Gaza, clear it of debris and develop it into a seaside paradise. The president boasted that an American-led rebuild would usher in peace to a troubled region.
In the days before Netanyahu’s visit, Trump told aides he wanted to present the idea to the Israeli leader and then announce it during a press conference, officials said. Only a handful of staffers in the president’s inner circle knew about the rollout plan, according to Trump’s advisers.
Senior defense officials, who Trump may call upon to make plans to occupy and secure Gaza during its rebuild, said they first learned of the idea during the president’s public statement. “Nobody knows what’s happening,” a defense official said.
“Sheer lunacy,” said Steven Cook, a senior fellow for Middle East studies at the Council on Foreign Relations think tank. Just the idea of ridding Gaza of its inhabitants “is a crime against humanity.”
Leavitt on Wednesday sought to clarify Trump’s plans, as criticism from the president’s allies mounted. “The president hasn’t committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza,” she said during a briefing with reporters where she showed large photos of bombed out neighborhoods in the strip.
Dead On Arrival
This statement from Saudi Arabia sums up the viability of Trump’s proposal.
Saudi Arabia, for decades one of the Palestinians’ staunchest regional champions, strongly rebuked Trump’s proposal. The kingdom’s commitment to a future Palestinian state was “firm and unwavering,” its foreign ministry said in a Tuesday night statement. “This unwavering position is nonnegotiable and not subject to compromises.”
Trump Campaigned on Ending Foreign Entanglements
Please note that Trump campaigned on ending foreign entanglements.
Now all of a sudden, Trump proposes to remove all Palestinians from their homeland to build the “Riviera of the Middle East“.
If you think that is an exaggeration, then click on the above link for the video.
And that was right after Trump video announcement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, “The US will take over the Gaza strip and we will do a job with it too. And we will own it.“
By “own it” I presume Trump means “own the responsibility” rather than literal ownership, but heck, who really knows given threats to take Greenland and Panama, and make Canada the 51st US state.
Negotiation Tactic
As a negotiation tactic might I suggest …
- Do consult with allies
- Do not propose what is clearly ethnic cleansing
- Do not make radical statements that confuse Senators and the Defense Department
- Do not casually toss out ideas that undoubtedly would involve US military occupation in the Mideast or anywhere else.
If you support Trump’s plan then you have TDS Type II, IDS Type II, or both, defined below.
TDS Type II and IDS Type II
- TDS Type II: Trump Derangement Symptom Type II. Trump can do no wrong Type I is Trump can do nothing right.
- IDS Type II: Israel Derangement Symptom Type II. Israel can do no wrong Type I is Israel can do nothing right.
Boots on the Ground
“The president hasn’t committed to putting boots on the ground in Gaza,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
On February 4, I commented Trump says “US Will Take Over the Gaza Strip and Relocate All Palestinians”
President Trump proposed a US takeover of the Gaza Strip Tuesday — shortly after proposing removing “all” Palestinians living there.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings — level it out and create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area.”
Trump said that the roughly 2 million Gaza Strip residents would be relocated to neighboring countries.
Trump said he would deploy US troops to the territory “if it’s necessary.” Well, it would be necessary.
White House Walks Back Trump’s Statements
Please note White House walks back Trump’s suggestion of ‘permanent’ resettlement for Palestinians in Gaza
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt has contradicted Trump’s suggestions that the residents of the Gaza Strip could be permanently relocated elsewhere.
“The president has made it clear that they need to be temporarily relocated out of Gaza,” Levitt said during her briefing with reporters. “It’s a demolition site.”
That contradicted Trump, who said on Tuesday night of Gaza, “If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people, permanently, in nice homes where they can be happy and not be shot and not be killed and not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza.”
Gaza-Lago
In case you missed it, please see Artist’s Rendition of the Beautiful Gaza-Lago Beach Resort Now Surfacing
Many Gaza questions are unanswered, such as cost, US military involvement, and where the Palestinians will go. But the resort will be stunning.
Mish’s Five Observations
- Trump said he would deploy US troops to the territory “if it’s necessary.” Well, it would be necessary.
- Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan all disagree. They do not want Palestinians and the associated violence.
- The US does not want Palestinian refugees. Nor does Israel. Nor does the EU.
- The Palestinians do not want to be forcibly be removed and no country wants them anyway.
- There is no funding for Trump’s proposed military operation or cleanup operation.
Tut-tut you might be saying. But I am newly inspired by visions of Gaza-Lago.
Finally, all the hypocrites who blasted President Biden for taking illegal and unconstitutional actions, now support Trump for doing the same. That’s a sure sign of TDS Type II.