President Donald Trump cast his dramatic proposals for the future of Gaza as a boon to Palestinians. But it was the Israeli far right that received them with giddy appreciation.
“When I said this time and again during the war, that this was the solution to Gaza, they mocked me,” Itamar Ben-Gvir tweeted, referring to Trump’s pronouncement that Palestinians should leave Gaza as it is rebuilt into a global city controlled by the United States.
“Now it is clear: this is the only solution to the Gaza problem — this is the strategy for the ‘day after,'” Ben-Gvir added. “I call on the prime minister to announce the adoption of the plan as soon as possible and to immediately take practical steps to advance it.”
Ben-Gvir, as well as far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, have repeatedly called for Israel to encourage Gazans to emigrate, and for Israel to build settlements in the enclave. Prior to Trump taking office, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had not prioritized either idea, and had rejected the idea of Israeli settlements in Gaza.
Likewise, large U.S. Jewish groups have said they oppose any call for Jewish settlement in the enclave.
Ben-Gvir, formerly Israel’s national security minister, quit Netanyahu’s coalition last month to protest Israel’s current ceasefire deal with Hamas, which Trump demanded. He said on the radio on Wednesday that he would return to the coalition if Netanyahu carries out Trump’s vision.
Trump’s call for “all” Palestinians to leave Gaza, and for the United States to take control of it, exceeds even the dramatic proposals that Ben-Gvir and others on the far right have made. Ben-Gvir has floated “voluntary migration” for Gaza Palestinians, while Smotrich has said he believed half the enclave’s population of roughly 2 million could be “encouraged” to leave within two years.
Forced migration is illegal under international law, and a number of the Arab countries that Trump sees as destinations for Gaza Palestinians have flatly rejected his proposal.
Following Trump’s press conference, Smotrich tweeted a passage of gratitude from Psalms about pilgrims returning to the land of Israel, recited on Shabbat and holidays, along with a picture of Trump and Netanyahu smiling next to each other.
“Even better and even better,” Smotrich wrote, echoing the lyrics of a hit song that channels rabbinic teachings but is widely popular in Israel. “Thank you President Trump. Together, we will make the world great again 🇮🇱🇺🇸.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
