Trump Wants to 'Clean Out' Gaza, Citing 'Clean' History on Displacing Palestinians
Trump's casual suggestion to 'clean out' Gaza and send its residents to Egypt and Jordan isn't just inflammatory rhetoric; it's a rehash of a colonial playbook. This 'transfer' concept resurfaces whenever a particularly brutal chapter of Israeli policy unfolds, mirroring calls made by officials repeatedly since 1948's Nakba, and echoed by figures like Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir today.
The WSJ frames it as a Trump 'want,' rather than acknowledging it as a long-standing, well-documented aspiration among ultranationalist Israeli factions. As for the 'how' such a thing occurs, one need only look at existing U.S. policy. The Biden administration, for instance, just approved another 155mm artillery shell sale to Israel for $147.5 million, drawing on a prior emergency authorization.
This is the fourth such emergency arms sale since October 7th, with members of Congress who receive substantial AIPAC donations—like Rep. Steve Scalise, who accepted over $70,000 from pro-Israel groups in 2022—consistently greenlighting the weapons essential for such 'cleanup' operations. One might wonder, how many times will 'leaders' discuss the forced displacement of millions before the media
connects the dots between rhetoric, arms, and historical ethnic cleansing?