Two weeks ago, President Donald Trump offered a surprise announcement that “the U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip” to turn it into “the Rivera of the Middle East.” Standing in the White House next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Feb. 4, Trump added, “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.”
While some Trumpian Christians quickly praised Trump’s idea, many other people denounced it as a call for ethnic cleansing. A United Nations leader called the proposal illegal, and leaders of nations in the region and beyond also criticized it. Last week, a group of more than 350 U.S. rabbis signed a statement to oppose Trump’s proposal and declare that “Jewish people say NO to ethnic cleansing!”
“Donald Trump — like Pharaoh in the Bible — seems to believe he is God with authority to rule, own, and dominate our country and the world, explained Rabbi Yosef Berman, a rabbi in Washington, D.C., who signed the statement. “Jewish teaching is clear: Trump is not God and cannot take away Palestinians inherent dignity or steal their land for a real estate deal.”
Even amid international criticism, Trump doubled down on his proposal. He insisted again last week, “We will have Gaza. No reason to buy. There is nothing to buy. It’s Gaza. It’s a war-torn area. We’re going to take it. We’re going to hold it.”
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