Trump's plan to take over Gaza angers Palestinians in Boston, "most ridiculous thing"
BOSTON - Palestinians in the Boston area are reacting to President Trump's proposal that the United States take over war-torn Gaza. "It's the most ridiculous thing that ever come out from a mouth of an American president," said Ahmad Kawash, President of the Palestinian House of New England.
At the White House on Tuesday President Trump said it could be the Riviera of the Middle East. "It could be so magnificent," said Trump.
"Wrong at all levels"
But Palestinians in the Boston area with family and friends in the region are using other words. "It's meaningless, it's senseless, it's ethnic cleansing actually. It's wrong at all levels," said Fawaz Abusharkh, also with the Palestinian House of New England.
The president is suggesting that millions of displaced Palestinians be resettled to countries like Egypt and Jordan, and the U.S. take ownership in redeveloping the area. But images of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians walking with their belongings trying to return to what's left says it all for Ahmad Kawash.
"That's resilience, that's resilience," Kawash said. "I tell you and trying to tell the world this is our land and we're not leaving and we'll never leave."
Potential violation of international law
Some political experts like Boston College Associate Professor Peter Krause call it unrealistic.
"If he's going to have 2.3 million Palestinians move out of Gaza, a number of them are not going to want to go, so not only is that potentially a violation of international law, but it's also something that is going to be incredibly costly and difficult," said Krause. Especially, he says, if the United States commits American troops to the redevelopment.
Local conservative podcaster Jon Fetherston says he'd like to see the president stick to an "America First" agenda, but it's the classic way he operates. "It's a way for him to stimulate conversation with other countries saying, 'hey what are you willing to do to participate to bring peace to the Middle East,'" said Fetherston.
Local Palestinians see this is as only one thing from the President who is a former real estate businessman. "Greed," said Ahmad Kawash. "Greed and money because Gaza is rich of oil and gas."
