New Delhi:
US President Donald Trump has unveiled a plan to seize control of the Gaza Strip, displace its estimated two million Palestinian residents, and transform the devastated enclave into a luxury destination. Dubbed the “Riviera of the Middle East,” the plan is reminiscent of Trump’s career-defining real estate projects – including New York’s iconic Trump Tower – but with the backdrop of over 60,000 dead Palestinians.
Trump’s Vision
Standing next to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House, Trump declared that the United States should take over Gaza, describing the project as a “long-term ownership position.” This means permanently displacing the Palestinian population and redeveloping the area into a luxurious seaside haven.
“If we could find the right piece of land, or numerous pieces of land, and build them some really nice places with plenty of money in the area, that’s for sure. I think that would be a lot better than going back to Gaza,” the US President said. “Everybody I’ve spoken to loves the idea of the United States owning that piece of land, developing and creating thousands of jobs with something that will be magnificent.”
Trump’s aides have since attempted to temper his comments, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt clarifying that there are no plans to deploy US troops to Gaza. However, the mere suggestion of such a plan has raised alarms about potential violations of international law and the further escalation of conflict in the Middle East.
Trump Family’s Middle East Links
The Middle East has become a lucrative region for the Trump family’s business ventures, with high-profile deals across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Israel. According to a New York Times report, Partnering with Saudi-based Dar Al Arkan, the Trump Organization is developing luxury apartments, golf courses, and hotels in Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Dubai. The report claimed that the Trump Organization has already earned $7.5 million from the Oman project alone.
This burst of new Middle Eastern deals follows the Trump Organization’s earlier ventures, such as the Trump International Golf Club in Dubai, which opened in 2017 in partnership with DAMAC Properties. Eric Trump and Donald Trump Jr have been heavily involved and recently visited Oman to assess the progress of their projects.
In addition to real estate, the Trump family has aligned with LIV Golf, a professional league financed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund. Trump National Doral near Miami is set to host one of the league’s tournaments for the fourth consecutive year this April.
Jared Kushner’s Financial Ties
Former presidential adviser and Trump’s son-in-law, Jared Kushner, has financial ties in the region.
“Gaza’s waterfront property – it could be very valuable, if people would focus on building up livelihoods,” Kushner had said last year during an event at Harvard. “It’s a little bit of an unfortunate situation there, but I think from Israel’s perspective, I would do my best to move the people out and then clean it up. But I don’t think that Israel has stated that they don’t want the people to move back there afterward.”
His private equity firm, Affinity Partners, has raised $4.5 billion, largely from sovereign wealth funds in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE. According to the New York Times, Kushner has invested in Israeli companies, including Phoenix Holdings and the car leasing division of Shlomo Holdings.
Ethnic Cleansing
Trump’s announcement comes at a time when the Gaza Strip has suffered immense devastation, with nearly 62,000 Palestinians reported dead since October 2023 due to ongoing conflict with Israel. The region has been reduced to rubble, and the humanitarian crisis has forced thousands to be displaced.
Despite the catastrophic situation, Trump envisions Gaza transformed into a high-end tourist destination, claiming that the redevelopment would create thousands of jobs and bring stability to the region. His remarks, however, have been met with condemnation from human rights organisations who view the proposal as an attempt at ethnic cleansing.