The Former President’s Vision of US-Controlled Gaza Aligned with Expansionist Foreign Policies
Donald Trump’s proposal for Gaza to be managed by the US, free of Palestinians, has drawn comparisons to 19th-century imperialism, as it caters to Israel’s far-right fantasies while pushing forward an expansionist agenda that has been a hallmark of his presidency. Trump’s vision of Gaza as a US-administered region, dubbed as a “Riviera,” reflects an alarming disregard for Palestinian rights, leading critics to draw parallels to the concept of a second Nakba, the catastrophic displacement of Palestinians.
In a joint press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump suggested that the US could even deploy troops to secure a “long-term ownership position” in Gaza, an abrupt shift from his previous stance advocating for the US to withdraw from the Middle East entirely. Netanyahu appeared visibly uncomfortable with Trump’s comments about the US opposing Israeli control over Gaza, signaling the tension between Trump’s bold approach and Israel’s own territorial ambitions.
This new plan signals a troubling return to a mindset more aligned with 19th-century imperial expansion than the isolationist rhetoric that defined much of Trump’s early political platform, further complicating the already volatile situation in the Middle East.
