By Mohammad Makram Balawi | –
US President Donald Trump’s remarks about his call with the king of Jordan and his suggestion that Amman should take in Palestinians from Gaza reflect clear ignorance of the nature of the Palestinian issue and the political history of the region. Trump failed to understand that the Palestinians who sought refuge in Jordan were originally Jordanian citizens of the occupied West Bank, which was part of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan before Israeli occupation. When the occupation took place, they were forcibly displaced to the eastern bank of the Jordan River, which is now Jordan.
Trump’s statement was not just an offhand remark; it was apparent that it is part of a broader US strategy to support Israel’s ethnic cleansing, initiated by Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, a mission the Israeli occupation failed to execute in full, through military force. His mention of discussing the matter with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi about accepting about 1.5 million Palestinian (about 70 per cent of Gaza’s population), made it clear that he was intent on implementing this criminal action plan, regardless of the position of his Arab allies, and indeed international law. This underscores that the United States is not merely a supporter of Israel but an active and bold partner in its expansionist and aggressive policies, as well as its crimes against humanity.
Ironically, Trump is adopting a policy to prevent and restrict immigration to the US, although America is built by immigrants including his family. While he preaches America’s right to do so, he wants to drive the local Palestinian indigenous people out of the land of their ancestors and allow Jewish immigrants to expand their fascist, racist, re-actionist apartheid state onto it.
Trump is in no way an exception in this crazy strategy. From the outset, the United States has supported Israel diplomatically in the UN Security Council, legally by threatening the International Criminal Court (ICC) and trying to criminalise its members, and economically by pumping billions of dollars into Israel – despite economic crises within the US such as the California wildfires, which exposed the country’s weak infrastructure. Militarily, Washington has deployed aircraft carriers and nuclear submarines while providing Israel with the latest lethal weapons, such as 2,000-pound smart bombs – ordinarily used against military fortifications but instead deployed to target civilian infrastructure. It is also providing Israel with intelligence and military guidance.
Moreover, Washington has played a major role in media manipulation, seeking to distort facts and cover up Israeli crimes, such as bombing civilian infrastructure and new born babies, and adopting Israeli propaganda in full, whether through the White House National Security Council spokesperson, the State Department, or even President Biden himself. After the ceasefire, clear evidence emerged that Israel had been planning from the outset to forcibly expel Gaza’s residents by systematically destroying hospitals, universities, roads, water and electricity networks, schools and markets — pushing people southward while simultaneously promoting land purchases in Gaza as if the territory were empty of its rightful inhabitants.
This was not merely an illusion propagated by extremist Zionists, but an official policy backed by the Trump administration, which treated the Palestinian cause as nothing more than a real estate transaction. Trump’s so-called “Deal of the Century” was nothing but a realisation of Netanyahu’s fascist dreams, attempting to extort Arab states into funding economic prosperity for Palestinians in exchange for them abandoning their national aspirations. This idea was heavily promoted by former US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who openly stated that Palestinians were incapable of governing themselves.
“Refugee,” Digital, Midjourney, 2024.
Such policies emboldened Jewish extremists to escalate their attacks on Al-Aqsa Mosque and expand illegal settlements, attacking the local Palestinian population in the occupied West Bank, provoking Palestinian resistance. Meanwhile, Arab and Muslim countries faced immense US pressure to normalise relations with Israel, completely disregarding the Arab Peace Initiative and reinforcing Palestinians’ sense of abandonment with no viable political solutions.
All these factors culminated in the events of 7 October 2023; a direct consequence of the policies championed by Trump. His policies, contrary to his beliefs, do not extinguish wars but yield mayhem, political unrest and regional wars.
Today, the forced displacement of Palestinians is no longer just a conspiracy theory but an overt Israeli-American policy that blatantly contradicts international law and human rights principles. This exposes the double standards that have subjected the US and its allies to global criticism, damaging their credibility and international standing.
Thus, while Trump boasted about “making America great again”, his actions have – in reality – contributed to tarnishing its image and reputation. Nevertheless, the Palestinian people, who have withstood massacres and occupation, will not be swayed by Trump’s hollow statements. Their resistance will remain a testament to the fact that US policies toward the Palestinian cause have not only harmed Palestinians but have also been disastrous for America’s own standing in the world.
The views expressed in this article belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Middle East Monitor or Informed Comment.
Dr Mohammad Makram Balawi is the Director General of League of Parliamentarians for Jerusalem (LP4Q).
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