Jewish community responds to Trump’s Gaza ‘takeover’ plan

Leaders in the Jewish community have responded to Donald Trump’s plan for the US to “take over” the Gaza Strip and resettle its civilian population elsewhere.

The US president announced at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he envisioned “long-term” US ownership of the enclave, which would be developed into the “Riviera of the Middle East" for the “world’s people”, while Palestinians would be resettled “permanently” in neighbouring countries (though officials later clarified this would be temporary).

Speaking alongside Netanyahu, Trump said: “If we can get a beautiful area to resettle people permanently in nice homes, and then they can be happy enough, not be shot, not be killed, not be knifed to death like what’s happening in Gaza. Right now you have in Gaza a very dangerous situation in terms of explosives all over the place.”

Asked during the briefing whether he’d consider sending US troops to the Strip, Trump responded: “We’ll do what is necessary… We’re going to take over that place, we’re going to develop it, we’re going to create thousands of thousands of jobs and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of.”

Netanyahu praised Trump’s proposal as “worth paying attention to”.

“He sees a different future for that piece of land that has been the focus of so much terrorism,” the Israeli president said, speaking alongside Trump. “We’re talking about it. He’s exploring it with his people, with his staff. I think it’s something that could change history.”

However, Dave Rich, the director of policy at the Community Security Trust, took to X in response, describing the plan “ethnic cleansing”.

“If Palestinians want to leave Gaza and live somewhere else then if other countries are willing to offer residency/citizenship they should be able to go. The moment they are forced against their will to leave en masse, it is ethnic cleansing. I don't see how it is anything else,” he said.

Elsewhere, the Board of Deputies reiterated its commitment to a “comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians”.

“Long term proposals to move from the damage and displacement caused by the conflict to a better future for the Middle East, must be workable and in-line with international law.”

The Board added that any “Marshall plan” for the Strip should see a “sustainable, secure and dignified” peace for Israelis, Palestinians and the wider region.

But Yachad, a British Jewish progressive advocacy group, strongly rejected Trump’s proposals as “absurd”.

“‘The international community must loudly reject these plans and take immediate, urgent, action to stop them from coming to fruition. There are over 2 million Palestinians living in Gaza, and the idea that they will willingly and gladly leave their home, is absurd,” a spokesperson said.

“This plan should be called out for what it is: forcibly transferring a civilian population, or in other words, ethnic cleansing. This plan will not bring peace or security to the region, but lead it into further catastrophic wars, causing Israelis and Palestinians to remain in the horrific cycle of violence they already live in.

“Not only that, these dangerous and reckless statements from the Trump administration, supported by the Netanyahu government, blatantly put the lives of hostages still being held by Hamas at risk,” it added

The Zionist Federation, an umbrella organisation for the Zionist movement in the UK expressed scepticism about the seriousness of the proposal and concern about potential repercussions for the ceasefire.

"At the present stage, it is unclear what Trump's plan actually is - even his own government officials seem to be unable to explain,” a spokesperson said.

“Rather than speculating on a plan, we believe that it is critical to avoid any distraction from the ceasefire plan, which will secure the return of all the hostages. Further, the Zionist Federation believes that Israel’s security ultimately depends on good relations with its neighbours, which should guide any plan for the future of Gaza."

In contrast, Gary Mond, the chairman of the right-wing National Jewish Assembly, praised the US president for thinking “outside the box”.

“His proposal is in effect a confirmation that the two state solution concept has utterly failed. Trump and his government appreciate that the real issue in the Middle East is that the Palestinian’ leadership will never accept a Jewish state in the Middle East, which is why so many past attempts at peace have failed.

“Radical alternatives need to be considered, and this plan is, as a minimum, a starting point.”