President Donald Trump once more has become the focal point in headlines for his incendiary foreign policy platform—this time by announcing that the United States must "take over and own" the Gaza Strip. The outrageous statement created shock waves around global diplomatic communities and added further instability to the already precarious ceasefire arrangement in the region. His plan–introduced by him as a revolutionary project for the redevelopment of Gaza as the "Riviera of the Middle East”-- is not politically feasible but, more importantly, morally abominable, symptomatic of a politics of Western colonialist interests in the age of economic renewal.
The outrage then grew after Trump posted an Instagram video entitled "Trump Gaza" with a disturbingly low-quality AI-generated background song that included eerie lyrics like "Donald's going to set you free." The video itself depicted Trump-like golden idols on tidy beaches, his being reminiscent of an overlord looking down at a new, resort-like Gaza. The otherworldly imagery and the queasy celebratory soundtrack gave the post a decidedly dystopian atmosphere—one more ideological than real policy initiative.
Invoking such imagery and music draws attention to the colonialist fantasy underpinning Trumpian rhetoric. Rather than tackling the Palestinians' awful suffering or imagining a solution to peace, the video detailed a vision of American-led revival that merely skated over the deep political, historical, and humanitarian realities at stake. The AI-generated earworm, warbling along to platitudes of Trump's claimed liberation of Gaza, added to the queasiness of the post, dumbing down a whole region's suffering to this bizarre, self-absorbed spectacle.
Gaza's last ceasefire was already on its deathbed before this, its tensions with Israel still simmering despite efforts to make peace the world over. Trump's declarations, far from summoning stability, have actually incited rancor and cynicism and have made peace talks even less likely to succeed. His statements have emboldened hardline elements on both sides, Israeli nationalists interpreting them as a secret blessing for expansion and Palestinian factions interpreting them as another demonstration of Western imperialism bullying its way over their right of self-determination.
Trump's timing is particularly toxic. With Egypt's mediators, Qatar, and the UN fighting to pin down the ceasefire, his words introduced a fresh and disturbing dynamic. Arab countries–some of which have provisionally agreed to ceasefire agreements–are now attempting to manage the fallout of Trump's action. By asking America to "own" Gaza, Trump has managed to delegitimize the agency and self-determination of Palestinians and reduced an entire nation to pawns in his global game of politics.
Aside from political ramifications, Trump's plan is ruthlessly inhumane. Gaza has been described as an "open-air prison," where its inhabitants face severe blockade, shelling, and a strangulating lack of necessities. Rather than focusing on solutions for improving the 2.3 million Palestinians there, Trump's plan prioritizes foreign capital and commerce over sovereignty and aid.
Trump's history of seeing global conflicts as a business opportunity means that his Gaza policy is as much about profiteering from a weak region as it is about humanitarian relief. His dream of creating a "Riviera of the Middle East" is utterly detached from reality—Gaza's infrastructure is destroyed, its healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, and its inhabitants simply struggle to survive day to day. The idea that America can "take over" Gaza ignores the decades of suffering its citizens have endured and devalues their lives as a property opportunity.
Additionally, Trump's statements invoke a colonialist mindset, where powerful nations promote their interests at the expense of weaker nations in the name of development. His suggestion is similar to previous attempts to exploit weaker regions without respect for sovereignty, culture, and people's will. Although Trump maintains that his suggestion would make individuals wealthier, history has shown that outside-imposed development only increases tension and frustration.
The international community was quick to condemn Trump's comment, with Palestinian government ministers branding it "delusional" and "dangerously provocative." Arab nations, already wary of Western intervention in the Middle East, have rallied against it, with Egyptian, Jordanian, and Saudi leaders all rejecting the idea outright. Even Israel, locked in constant conflict with Hamas, has not been eager for Trump's vision, realizing that any such intervention would most likely create even greater regional instability.
Legally, Trump's proposal violates several international norms, including territorial sovereignty and the right to self-determination. The notion that America can just "own" Gaza overlooks years of international efforts to protect Palestinian rights. For even a controversial figure like Trump, this offer is a new low in diplomatic disrespect and disrespect for international law.
Trump's latest foray into Middle Eastern geopolitics is not just unrealistic;it is dangerous and inhumane. His proposal to "own" Gaza is not only an affront to the misery of multitudes that live there but a callous provocation that can serve only to fuel further the volatility of an already volatile situation. Rather than trying to implement true solutions for peace and humanitarian assistance, his farce has a policy of foreign policy by bullying and contempt for human misery. With the world already swimming in historic levels of violence, Trump's shoot-from-the-lip statements amount to no more than fuel added to a smoldering blaze, further solidifying the hope of an equal solution for Gaza.
Photo Credit:
[Header]: Truth Social
[Embedded 1]: Truth Social
[Embedded 2]: AP Photo/Evan Vucci
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