Haaretz, in an editorial and an article on Feb. 6, expressed serious concern about President Donald Trump’s proposal to transfer the Palestinian population of Gaza to Jordan, Egypt, and other countries. Trump’s proposal reflects his “lack of understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, its roots and its evolution over the years,” Haaretz editors write in the editorial. “At this point, Trump should at least recognize that there are no magical solutions that can simply dissolve the conflict. The audacity of presenting such a solution—one that echoes terms like transfer, ethnic cleansing and other war crimes—is an insult to both Palestinians and Israelis.”
In the Knesset, the serious concern about such a preposterous proposal was aptly expressed by United Arab List leader Mansour Abbas, who correctly pointed out that this isn’t a political agenda, but an outdated, Kahanist thinking that normalizes the unacceptable, Haaretz continues. “One can’t carry out a transfer without committing war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide,” he said. “I urge all who are sane not to be dragged into an adventure that’ll deepen hostility and hatred, not just between the two peoples—Israelis and Palestinians,” he said. “Israel must oppose transfer, whether it’s advocated by Rabbi Kahane or President Trump,” they conclude.
