US President Donald Trump recently announced his groundbreaking plan to rebuild Gaza and resettle its population in neighboring Egypt and Jordan. Egypt and the Arab world quickly condemned the Trump plan and proposed their own strategies for the “day after.”
Their urgency stemmed from the fear that the plan might materialize, as reports emerged that over 35,000 Gazan residents have already left the enclave. By putting forth his plan, President Trump joined previous voices advocating for the removal of a segment of the Arab population.
It is crucial to take a moment to reflect on history to understand the background of such plans. Just who are the Arabs Trump seeks to relocate?
In the aftermath of the 1948 War of Independence, approximately 750,000 Arabs found themselves outside the borders of the newly established Jewish state. Many actively fought against the Jews and were driven out during the conflict, while others, equally hostile, chose to leave voluntarily.
Evidence indicates that their exodus was exacerbated by Arab leaders who urged them to evacuate during the fighting and return after the massacre of the Jews. Those Arabs who were not hostile and were willing to coexist with their Jewish neighbors decided to stay. They are now, and have been, citizens of Israel.
Arabs fleeing the conflict crossed into eastern Palestine across the ceasefire line, areas now under Jordanian control. Others found refuge in Syria, Lebanon, and Gaza. After the war, Egypt annexed Gaza, while Jordan unlawfully seized the West Bank (Yehuda and Shomron).
The Arab nations did not embrace their Palestinian brothers; instead, they were confined to dilapidated refugee camps managed by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, better known as UNRWA.
Over time, the displaced Arabs held onto the assurances of Arab governments that their circumstances were temporary and that they would eventually return to their abandoned homes in Israel. However, returning to Israel was never a viable option, and integration into the host Arab nations was prohibited. Their resentment continued to grow.
From 1949 to 1967, Arab governments determined the fates of these displaced individuals. There was never any discussion about creating a Palestinian state in the newly named Jordanian-held “West Bank” or Egypt’s Gaza. Have they ever explained this omission while advocating for “Palestinian rights for self-determination”?
In 1967, the Arab states launched yet another war to eliminate Israel. Instead, the Jewish state emerged victorious. In the aftermath of the defensive Six Day War, Israel not only expanded its territory but also inherited millions of Arab adversaries, a population that fought against Israel and sought to destroy the emerging Jewish state.
The seething Arabs, now suddenly back within Israel’s borders, evolved into the terrorists of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (now the Palestinian Authority), Hamas, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. Their relentless campaign of terror has resulted in thousands of dead Israeli men, women, and children.
Those advocating for a two-state solution are either naïve, misled, or hoping for Israel’s downfall. How can they truly believe that any people could coexist peacefully with their declared enemy if they were granted their own state?
'A conservative is a liberal who has been mugged'
AN OLD adage describes a conservative as a liberal who has been mugged. Noted left-wing historian Benny Morris shifted his views on peace with the Arabs after they consistently refused to pursue peace even when offered their own state. He now describes Arabs seeking a Palestinian state as individuals who harbor profound hatred for Jews that can never be quenched.
They are the proverbial individuals who will “cut off their nose to spite their face.” They sacrifice their children for their animosity, choose funerals over weddings, and plan the murder of Jews instead of striving to build a vibrant and prosperous society. These individuals will never make good neighbors.
These are the Arabs whom President Trump (and others before him) wish to relocate from Gaza and settle in their rightful places – neighboring Arab countries.
The cynical refusal of Jordan, Egypt, and other Arab nations to integrate their kinsmen has perpetuated numerous wars and led to immense death and bloodshed among both Arabs and Jews. Trump, the perennial dealmaker striving to resolve a longstanding crisis, aims to rectify a significant wrong inflicted upon these people.
Make no mistake. Even though treaties exist, neither Egypt nor Jordan is a friend of Israel. For eight decades, they have fed the Palestinians a diet of hatred in the hope that they will die, instead of Egyptians or Jordanians, in their never-ending campaign to wipe out the Jews.
Islam’s goal is for global supremacy in both political rule and religion. The first step is erasing Israel from the map. However, after suffering many defeats, they prefer using the Palestinian Arabs as cannon fodder.
Israeli leaders have long recognized the threat posed by these Arabs. Some have called for their transfer to Egypt and Jordan, a tactic employed in other conflicts worldwide. Often, such calls were met with accusations of “racism” as their voices were silenced.
Trump acknowledges this reality as well. By relocating a hostile and impoverished population to neighboring Arab states, he removes a constant threat from Israel’s border. Is he a racist, too?
Historically, after numerous upheavals and population transfers throughout Europe, refugees repeatedly moved on to lead productive lives. They did not wallow in hate and anger. Why are the Palestinians different? Instead of contributing positively to the world as poets, doctors, and scientists, they have given us terrorists, hijackers, and murderers.
As more Israelis recognize the relentless goal of Arab Islamists for world domination, many have shifted their perspectives to the Right. They have abandoned the idea of a “two-state solution.” The reality is that they have been “mugged” too many times, and, as a result, they have ultimately become conservatives.
Alex Sternberg is the author of Recipes from Auschwitz: The Survival Stories of Two Hungarian Jews with Historical Insight and the forthcoming The Toughest Jew in Brooklyn: A Memoir.
David S. Levine is the author of Revolutions: In Their Own Words – What They Really Say About Their Causes.