Azra Hoosen | ah@radioislam.co.za
14 February 2025 | 15:30 CAT
5 min read

Former U.S. President Donald Trump’s recent remarks about Gaza have reignited concerns over the forced removal of Palestinians from their homeland. Trump suggested that the United States should take over Gaza, relocate its population, and transform the area into the “Riviera of the Middle East.” For Palestinians, this statement is not merely political rhetoric—it is a painful reminder of decades of displacement, resistance, and survival.

Dr Maha Nassar, an associate professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Arizona, highlighted that these efforts are not new but are rooted in a broader expansionist project that seeks to remove Palestinians from their homeland to build a Jewish state. She explained that from the early days of Zionist settlement to the mass displacement of 1948 and beyond, attempts to depopulate Gaza have been a recurring strategy. However, despite repeated efforts, Palestinians have continued to resist and remain on their land.

“What they failed to understand, and what their backers in the West failed to understand, is that Palestinians have a deep, historical, personal, and religious commitment to remaining on their land. And no amount of war, no amount of bribery, no amount of talk of building a Riviera is going to remove them from their land,” she said.

Dr Nassar noted that historical proposals for Palestinian displacement have often been framed as voluntary resettlement, a tactic dating back to the 1800s. “Even way back in the 1800s, Theodor Herzl, the founder, often referred to as the father of political Zionism wrote in his diary that we want to transfer the penniless population across the Jordan River by providing them economic opportunities over there (Jordan). But even back then, even back in 1895, he recognised that this would be easier said than done,” she explained.

She argues that Trump’s comments fit into this long-standing pattern but also mark a shift. While past U.S. administrations couched their policies in the language of economic incentives, Trump is openly exposing the underlying intent.

She further warns that Trump’s remarks embolden the Israeli far right, which has long been more explicit about its goals. “The right wing in Israel has been much more candid and much more forthright about their plans to forcibly remove the native Palestinians from their homeland by force, by colonising their land and forcing them out,” she states. Trump, she argues, is simply “saying the quiet part out loud.”

As the world reacts to Trump’s statements, she stressed that they reflect an ongoing reality rather than an isolated incident. “The real project is forced displacement, ethnic cleansing, genocide,” she said.

According to Dr Nassar, the long history of attempts to remove Palestinians from their homeland has often been disguised as humanitarian aid or economic development. She explains that historically, Western narratives have portrayed Palestinians as “poor refugees who need a helping hand,” leading to efforts like the establishment of UNRWA, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, which aimed to provide relief and employment opportunities in refugee camps outside Palestine.

But after nearly 80 years, Palestinians have not given up. “Either we have to recognise Palestinians’ political rights… or we have to remove them, get rid of them,” she explained, adding that the Israeli far right and figures like Trump are now pushing toward forced removal and ethnic cleansing.

Despite decades of economic pressures and forced migration attempts, Palestinians have remained deeply connected to their land. Whether through direct presence, sending money home, or passing down their history and traditions, their identity remains rooted in Palestine.

Dr Nassar highlighted how the global response to Israel’s actions in Gaza since October 7, 2023, has exposed the double standards of the post-World War II international order. While institutions like the UN, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Geneva Conventions were meant to protect fundamental rights, these principles were not equally applied—especially to the Global South, where colonisation and oppression persisted.

She explained that dignity is not easily granted, especially when it conflicts with Western imperial and economic interests. Palestine remains one of the last cases where oppression is directly tied to Western colonial interests, with Israel serving as a key player in maintaining division and weakness in the Muslim world.

“The history of the Nakba is not a history that’s in the past—it’s an ongoing experience,” she stated. Many Palestinians in Gaza today are descendants of refugees from 190 villages, maintaining not just a connection to Gaza but to their original homes. Sharing her own family’s story, she describes how her father, forced from the village of Barbara in 1948, carried that connection throughout his life. Even today, her relatives in Gaza refuse to leave because it would take them further from their ancestral home.

Dr Nassar explains that the younger generation of Palestinians, particularly in Gaza—where over 60% are under 30—are deeply connected to their homeland despite their physical isolation. With access to social media and digital archives, they have a more tangible vision of what liberation looks like compared to previous generations.

She critiqued Western media for framing Israeli actions as self-defense while denying Palestinians the right to resist. However, she noted a shift, especially among young people, who are turning to alternative media sources for narratives that challenge mainstream portrayals.

Regarding international pressure, she argued that true impact would require nations not only to sanction Israel but also to isolate the U.S. as its primary backer—something she doubts global powers are willing to do. However, she sees hope in mass mobilisation, similar to past ceasefire protests.

Dr Nassar warned that if ethnic cleansing in Gaza is allowed to continue, it will set a dangerous global precedent, threatening people everywhere. “We saw last year protests emerge and erupts around the world calling for a ceasefire. I think it’s time that we saw similar kinds of mobilisation calling for a stance against ethnic cleansing. Because if Palestinians are allowed to be ethnically cleansed out of their homes in Gaza, that sets a new global precedent that puts all of us at risk wherever we learn,” she said.

LISTEN to the full interview with Muallimah Annisa and Dr Maha Nassar, an associate professor of modern Middle Eastern history at the University of Arizona, here.