Trumps 'ethnic cleansing' of Gaza is a great idea

Trumps "ethnic cleansing" of Gaza is a great idea, but under conditions, set out below.

President Donald Trump said recently that the U.S. will "take over" the Gaza Strip, "level the site" and rebuild it, after earlier saying Palestinians living there should leave.

"They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony" in other areas or countries, he said in a commitment to the plan at a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

"The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it, too. We'll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site. Level the site and get rid of the destroyed buildings. Level it out," he said.

The plan has received widespread commentary, mainly critical.

It is "ethnic cleansing" says UN chief, rejecting the concept.

But the United States under the Trump administration has reinforced its decision.

It is possible that the criticism was initiated when Trump advocated removal of Gazan citizens. Read the long history here although Trump now possibly advocates their return to Gaza.

Who is to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza? Gaza has been reduced to rubble. Israel has faced accusations of genocide in Gaza because of the scale of death and destruction from its military campaign.

This opinion writer's conditions are:

1. TheUnited States needs to pay for the reconstruction of Gaza under the Trump plan. After all, it was their President's plan, and the United States is the richest country in the world. Senior US officials were born outside the US and would be sympathetic to the return of the Gazan people.The Washington Post also stated recently that the United States would take responsibility for redeveloping Gaza.
2. Elections for a democratic government be held, Hamas, as an international terrorist organisation, would not be permitted to stand. More than 115 countries have requested and have received United Nations electoral assistance since 1991, the year in which the Secretary-General designated the Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs as focal point for electoral assistance matters.
3. The Gazan people be allowed and assisted to return to their reconstructed town, find jobs, start businesses, build a national charter, or constitution and vote.
4. Not all need to go. Some could stay behind in their tents and begin the task of reconstructing a massively bombed out city. Presumably US financed and at least infinitivally US managed.
5. Hamas, as a long-designated terrorist organisation, would not be permitted to stand under any revised constitution.

The benefits are massive.

The long-standing conflict in the Middle East will end. The two state solution, long regarded as the only solution to the conflict, advocated by Australia and many other nations, will not be needed. It has proven impossible to implement. The reason has been the rejection of the two state solution by Israel, both by the Knesset and Netanyahu,

The people of Gaza, well aware of the Nakba. the events of the 1948 Palestine war in Mandatory Palestine as well as the ongoing persecution and displacement of Palestinians by Israel, have seen their champions for the right of return in Hamas. This writer fully agrees with the right of return of the Palestinians. It is likely that with the new income opportunities in the Riviera of the Middle East and their reconstructed housing, they, especially the younger generation, will not wish to continue this war, be even willing not to wish for a return to the land of their parents, but to live happily in their reconstituted riviera.

The Australian Prime Minister's response to repeated questions about Mr Trump's statement, which could mean the displacement of more than 2 million Palestinians, has been to simply restate that Australia "will continue to take our position" to seek a two-state solution for Israel and Palestine. But observer after observer have stated that a two-state solution will not work. The main reason, Mr Netanyahus's refusal to accept a two-state solution, will no longer be a barrier to peace.

Long term peace through Trump's suggestion may become a forever aspect of life in the Middle East.