President Trump has expressed his hope to improve the lives of the Palestinians in Gaza, once the rubble has been removed and the infrastructure rebuilt, with the money for both that rubble removal and that rebuilding coming from the rich Arab states of the Gulf. He envisions turning the Strip, with its long beachfront of golden sands on the Mediterranean coast, into a future “Riviera.” This trial balloon has been greeted with ridicule in the West, and with condemnation from the Arabs. But the British historian Andrew Roberts thinks Trump’s plan, which would require the displacement of most of the Gazans, who should not have to endure living in what would become a huge construction site, has historical precedents, and should not be dismissed out of hand. More of Andrew Roberts’ history lesson can be found here: “The Historical Case for Trump’s Riviera,” by Andrew Roberts, Washington Free Beacon, February 8, 2025:
Much of the international condemnation of Donald Trump’s “Riviera” plan for Gaza rests on the assumption that the Palestinians retain sovereignty over the territory, despite all the events that have taken place since their incursion into Israel on October 7, 2023, and that they also continue to have the right to choose their own government.
In fact, historical precedent suggests that Hamas’s invasion of southern Israel that day, and its condign punishment by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), have severe implications for whether the Gazans still have the right to decide their own destiny, and who governs them.
For again and again in the past, peoples who unleash unprovoked aggressive wars against their neighbors and are then defeated—as the Gazans have been on any conceivable metric—lose either their government or their sovereignty, or both. It would be strange were Hamas somehow to buck this historical trend….
Konrad Henlein was the Nazi leader of the Sudeten Germans in Czechoslovakia 1938, who invited Adolf Hitler to invade the Czech state in March 1939. He had much the same kind of willing-acolyte relationship with the Führer that Yahya Sinwar had with Iran. When the Second World War was lost in May 1945, Henlein committed suicide and his people were moved out of the Sudetenland, some 800,000 to the Soviet zone and the rest to West Germany. The Sudetenland was then entirely repopulated with ethnic Czechs.
In all, more than three million Germans were forced to leave their homes in the Sudetenland, Silesia, and other lands east of the Oder and Neisse rivers, where their ancestors had lived for centuries, indeed for much longer than most Palestinian families have lived in Gaza. They embarked on the 300-mile journey westwards under conditions of extreme deprivation, carrying only what they could carry. Once they reached Germany—whose new borders were drawn by the victorious Allies as they had lost all sovereignty—they settled and made the best of it.
Today, they and their descendants are among some of the most successful people in Germany, and however powerful modern Germany is, she makes no territorial claims on either Poland or the Czech Republic. The Palestinians could learn a great lesson from the catastrophe that overcame the Sudeten Germans almost contemporaneously as the “Nakba” (catastrophe) that overcame them. Yet will they learn from it? Almost certainly not….
After North Korea launched its vicious unprovoked attack on South Korea in June 1950 it was punished so severely by the American-led United Nations force that it lost over a million dead. (In those happier days, the United Nations supported countries that were invaded rather than the invaders.) North Korea lost territory in the armistice in 1953 and has been a pariah state ever since.
The percentage of North Koreans who died in that war was 16.5 percent. The Gazan health ministry is an arm of Hamas propaganda and routinely lies about the statistics of killed and wounded there, but even if we take its numbers as accurate, the total number of Gazans killed in this war has been 2.04 percent, which is not a figure that in any way aligns with accusations of genocide. If the IDF had wished to commit genocide, it would have killed far more than 2.04 percent of Gazans. By total contrast, Adolf Hitler killed over 50 percent of all of Europe’s Jews in what was a genuine genocide….
In the collapsing former Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, Serb leaders such as Slobodan Milosevic, General Ratko Mladic, and Radovan Karadzic took the cold-blooded decision to invade neighboring Bosnia and conduct an appalling program of what came to be known as “ethnic cleansing.” Those critics of Donald Trump who tritely refer to the population transfers under his Gaza plan as ethnic cleansing ought to revisit what the phrase actually means in terms of horror, violence, and bloodshed.
Roberts could also remind readers that Trump was proposing to make the program voluntary for Gazans; only those who so desired would leave the Strip to settle elsewhere in the Arab world. There would be no “forcible” transfer of a population, which would violate Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention.
Roberts offers many instances from recent history in which parties engaged in aggression have been defeated by their intended victim, and lost territory, or even their sovereignty, as a result. He suggests that the 2.2 million people now in Gaza could be parceled out among the 22 existing Arab states, while Gaza was being reconstructed, is worth considering. It would lighten the burden that would be felt if just one or two states were expected to accept the Gazans. The poorer Arab states taking in their allotment of 100,000 Gazans could have all of the expense of their resettlement, and upkeep, underwritten by the rich Arab states. It’s worth serious consideration. It’s not Trump, let’s remember, but the Arabs, who want to force the Gazans to live among the rubble.
Cynthia says
That is perfectly logical. But the Arab nations don’t really care about the Palestinians.
They care about them terrorizing Israelis until there will be no more Jewish state.
This has always been the goal. Islam doesn’t give up on owning a territory they have settled in or border on ever.
Rob Porter says
Too true, Cynthia. The Arabs savagely invaded and took over the lands of many peoples, in the process cruelly murdering millions, so I could care less to what inconveniences and discomforts the Palestinian Arabs are subjected. Even today some Muslims believe that Portugal and Spain are Muslim territory because Muslims once ruled those countries. The fact that they got totally kicked out does not influence their warped thinking. If in a position to do so, I’d stick the lot in Somaliland and Somalia, or some other dried out hole.
I also care less that in 1990 the Serbs invaded Bosnia and killed Muslims. It was their revenge for what Muslims had done to Serbs during WW2 when the Muslims and Croats who had aligned themselves with Nazi Germany, murdered between 1 1/2 and 2 million Serbs. Their cruelty when doing so amazed the Germans.
We can bet that the Saudis, Qataris and other Muslims want the Palestinian to stay in Gaza where they can cause incessant disruption and concern in Israel.
Tony says
No money should be given to any of the 50+ Islamic Countries. Trump should deport all the Muslims in Israel and Gaza to Jordan and ban Islam, its Mosques, its Schools, etc. because of Islam’s terrorism, discrimination, and violence against Israel and Non-Muslims.
Islam is a MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATION(MTO) against Non-Muslims and NOT A PEACEFUL RELIGION UNDER WESTERN LAWS because Islam funds, teaches, and promotes a Terrorist Criminal Organization with Muslims as Terrorists for Allah(Quran 2:216; 4:95; 8:12,39,74; 9:5,29,41,49, 21:921; 88,111,123;21:92; 49:15 and more). More specifically, Islam is a Muslim Terrorist Ideology and Murderous, Criminal Enterprise of Intolerance, continuous war, discrimination, segregation, supremacy, genocide, polygamy, propaganda, deceit, hatred, incitement, sedition, rape, terrorism, and violence against all Non-Muslims as taught in the Quran.
The FRUIT of Islam is incessant WAR, terrorism, discrimination, slavery, malice, ISLAMIZATION, and violence against all Non-Muslims; this FACT must be taught and broadcast to the general public to prohibit Islam, its Mosques, its Courts, and its Schools. Also, Islam is an Antichrist System terrorizing Israel, Christians, and Non-Muslims. Plus, there is NO EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW in Islam or in Islamic Law(Quran 98:6-7; 9:29 and more). In Sahih Bukhari(V6,B60,N80), Abu Huraira narrates, “‘You(Muslims) are the best of peoples ever raised for mankind.’ means, the best of peoples for the people, as you bring them[Non-Muslims] with chains on their necks till they embrace Islam[see Quran 3:110].” See also Quran 3:22,151; 69:30-32; 98:6.
Non-Muslims CANNOT have peace with Islam and its Muslims because Islam and its murderous god, Allah, demand a continuous, Muslim war against unbelievers where Non-Muslims are CRIMINALS under Islam when Allah in Qur’an 8:39 says, “And engage in war with them[Non-Muslims] until there will not be sedition and the religion will be completely to Allah…” HENCE, NON-MUSLIMS MUST MAKE ISLAM, ITS MOSQUES, ITS SCHOOLS, ITS ORGANIZATIONS, ETC. ILLEGAL UNDER THE LAW. Similarly, Islam and its many Organizations must be identified and publicly declared to be MUSLIM TERRORIST ORGANIZATIONS for their funding, teaching, and support of terrorism, violence, and discrimination against Non-Muslims(eg. Quran 9:5,29,111 and more).
Western Muslims seek to ensure Islam’s legitimacy against Non-Muslim societies, to impose Islamic Law in Western Legal Systems, and to advance Islam’s totalitarian goals to conquer the West. Consequently, Islam promotes a limitless, terroristic, Muslim war against unbelievers when Allah in Qur’an 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. They do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
Deceitful Allah promises Heavenly Paradise to Muslims for acts of Muslim killing in terrorist attacks against Non-Muslims and Muslim hypocrites when Quran 9:111 says, “Surely Allah has purchased from the believers[Muslims] their souls and their money so that they may have the garden[Heavenly Paradise]. They engage in war for the sake of Allah, so they kill and are killed…”
Islam champions Muslim acts of slaughter against Non-Muslims for not becoming Muslims as Allah in Quran 8:12 says, “When your lord revealed to the angels: ‘I am with you so make firm those who believed[Muslims]. I will cast a terror into the hearts of those who became infidels[Non-Muslims]. So strike above their necks(decapitation), and strike off(chop off) every finger from them.’”
Allah instructs Muslims to attack Non-Muslims when Quran 9:29 says, “Engage in war with those who do not believe in Allah nor in the last day. Nor forbid what Allah and his messenger forbid[via Islam’s Law, Sharia], nor believe in the religion of the truth[Islam] among those who have been given the book[Christians and Jews] until they pay the jizyah[extortion payment] out of hand and they are subdued[disgraced].”
Islam MEANS SURRENDER, NOT submission. Allah in Islam demands SURRENDER, voluntarily or not, by becoming a Muslim. On other hand, SUBMISSION, ‘to Submit’, is a voluntary act to follow the authority or control of another. Allah in Quran 49:14 says, “’The Bedouins said, ‘We believed.’ Say,’You did not believe. But say, ‘We surrender (became Muslim as a result of fear).’ And the faith has not entered your hearts. And if you obey Allah and his messenger, he will not decrease anything from your works. Surely Allah is forgiving, merciful.’” Failure to surrender by becoming a Muslim brings punishment including the punishment of death. Islam does NOT offer love and peace to anyone who is NOT A MUSLIM. Allah in Quran 48:29 says, “Muhammad is Allah’s Messenger, and those who are with him are severe against the infidels but full of tenderness among themselves…”
Allah instructs true believers, Muslims, to perform jihad, religious war, with their money and with their lives. Allah in Quran 49:15 says, “Surely the believers are only those who believed in Allah and his messenger. Then they do not doubt, and they performed JIHAD with THEIR MONEY AND THEIR LIVES for the sake of Allah. Those are the truthful.”
cornelius says
Sorry Hugh….I see Trump’s Gaza gambit as nothing but a diversionary pipe-dream. If people think he’s going to forcibly expel 2 million people from their ancestral homes in a chilling modern display of ethnic cleansing….well, it just isn’t going to happen.
Trump is doing so much that is good on the domestic front, I wish he’d stay focused on that. His Canada, Greenland, and Gaza pronouncements are just alienating our friends and giving fodder to our enemies. If we get into a scrap with China over Taiwan, we’re going to need all the friends we can get. And even if Trump decides to sit it out militarily, we’re likely to disengage entirely from China economically in a post-invasion world. In that event, we need Europe and Japan on our side to isolate China economically. But our ability to do so is being compromised by poisoning the well of good relations with our allies.
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Spoken like a true Palestinian! That is not their ancestral home any more than Judea or Samaria are. They are squatters there, which would have been fine, since Israel let go of it, but they chose to launch Katyusha rockets into Sderot and Ashkelon from there, which is a part of why they are now in this predicament
Besides, this is very much voluntary, which any Gazan who’s more interested in living rather than fantasizing about a genocide of Jews, should be happy to take. Essentially, Trump has to find an Arab country that can take them – it was reported that he might have some leverage w/ Somalia and Morocco wrt Puntland or Western Sahara. Once he finds that, he can offer the Gazans the option of moving into those new homes in those places. The ones who don’t want to take up that offer can remain, but neither the US nor Israel nor anyone else will owe them a dime to rebuild, so they can just wallow in the ruins if they so feel like it
I also am not getting you when you refer to our “friends” wrt Gaza. Who are they? Egypt, who has been playing footsie w/ Turkey? Jordan, which has been becoming more unhinged towards Israel? Turkey, which has been trying to build a clandestine neo-Ottoman empire? Who exactly?
As for Canada and Greenland
⮞ Canada is not our friend – absolutely not under Trudeau! He was some ally to Biden, I’ll grant you that. But he’s been an absolute c🤬t when it comes to countries being run under ideologies he doesn’t agree w/, whether it’s Trump, Modi or Uganda. He supported the George Floyd riots unprovoked, and has subverted Canada to Beijing in ways that only Biden has! As long as he is in power, Canada is an enemy, not an ally!
⮞ Greenland is someone we might want to talk to once they gain their independence. Only reason they have been stalling on that is that they don’t wanna lose the subsidies that they get from Denmark, but I’m sure that the Danes are not to happy subsidizing them. Not that we would either, but we can’t let Greenland be controlled by Beijing. That’s why this is being brought up. IMO, Denmark would have done well to trade Greenland for Puerto Rico in Trump’s first term
So no, Trump is making absolutely the right foreign policy moves. I’m just waiting to see what he does on Ukraine to end the war, as well as Russian dependence on Beijing
cornelius says
>Spoken like a true Palestinian!
I see. Anyone who doesn’t agree with you is a “Palestinian”?
>That is not their ancestral home any more than Judea or Samaria are. They are squatters there
Have you ever seen a Biblical map of ancient Israel. They often have Gaza inhabited by “Philistines”. I said nothing of Judea or Samaria.
>I also am not getting you when you refer to our “friends” wrt Gaza
I made no reference to “friends” in my comments about Gaza. My comment about needing friends regarded potential conflict with China….and there I was referring to our traditional allies in Europe and East Asia.
Your methods of disputation are sorely lacking.
Rarely says
Infidel.
If there is animus between Canada and the U.S. it is Trump that is causing it…not Trudeau. Trump seems set on antagonizing the U.S.’s friends.
If Denmark wishes to make better use of Greenland’s natural resources (whish is what Trump is after) they might just look for the financing themselves. I am sure Saudi Arabia or China would be willing partners and might strike better deals with them than with Trump. The opinions of native Greenlanders is irrelevant — Denmark owns it.
Maybe Trump wants to resettle the Gazans there. LOL
࿗Infidel࿘ says
1. No, anyone who thinks that the Arabs shouldn’t be evicted from Israeli territory or neighborhood would be “Palestinian”
2. Philistines were not Arabs. At any rate, like I said above, Israel was fine w/ them living there, but after this war, it would be stupid to expect Israel to still be okay w/ it
3. About friends and Gaza, your quote above:
As you can see, “Gaza” and “friends” appear in the same sentence, making one wonder.
For a conflict w/ China, Europe would be irrelevant, just like Russia’s conflict w/ Ukraine, while a humanitarian disaster, is irrelevant to us, given that we are a couple of seas away. Canada has been totally sold to China by Trudeau. None of Trump’s statements so far have touched any of our East Asian allies – Japan, S Korea, Taiwan, Philippines. And they’re even getting India back in line, forcing them to can some of their plans to adapt a BRICS currency
So no, the foreign policy moves are perfectly fine. Even in this hemisphere, all those Leftist China-lovers are learning real fast what messing around w/ US will do
Rarely says
infifel.
Canada has been totally sold out to China? LOL
How many trillions of the U.S.’s foreign debt is owned by China? What’s the U.S. trade deficit with China? (I think Walmart does more business with China than Canada does.)
࿗Infidel࿘ says
Rarely
No. Trudeau started the enmity w/ Trump during the latter’s first term. Particularly during the George Floyd protests, where he had no business getting involved, but knelt in solidarity w/ the Dems
Relations b/w US & Canada can improve once the Libs are gone
࿗Infidel࿘ says
I disagree w/ Andrew Roberts on his Yugoslavia example. Years ago, we discussed this at length on this site, and there were several Serb posters who pointed out that most of the crimes were mainly done by muslims – both Bosniaks and Kosovar ones
Other than that, relocation of people, especially against their will, is a fact of history and an inevitable result of wars. Even w/o wars, we saw the India partition of 1947, where muslims got 2 parts of India to claim as Pakistan, but still got to remain in what remained of India, courtesy Gandhian faggots who continue to this day! Or how about Ukraine, where a number of ethnic Ukrainians in Donbass might want to move elsewhere in Ukraine if that place is ceded to Russia as a part of any peace agreement
In this case, the only reason the question of relocation arose was that Gaza is a demolition site, and there is a potential humanitarian crisis due to a lot of them losing their homes. It should not be incumbent on Israel to restore them. That’s why Trump’s idea of relocating them, particularly to either Somalia or Western Sahara, has merit. The Gazans have the choice of taking this offer, or wallowing in the ruins – whichever they prefer
abu taleb says
I think the only way to make it works is by making Gaza becomes a complete secular system with very strong and strict law implementation. So every body can leave Islam without any fear and every religion can preach freely. Then we should see a tsunami of apostasies in Gaza. Then we will have peace in Gaza for a long time.
However, from what happens in the US, I doubt if Trump administration has the guts to implement such system in Gaza.
skeptiker says
Seit wann haben die, die einen Krieg begonnen und ihn verloren haben Anspruch darauf, ihre zerstörten Gebiete weiter zu besitzen und zu bewirtschaften mit dem Ziel, den nächsten Krieg gegen Israel vorzubereiten ??
Yogi Bear says
Well, let’s face it: one must be a knucklehead to want to return to that ‘land’. But then again, one must needs be a knucklehead to start a pogrom like the one on October 7 as well. So: you do the math. No, wait a minute, I’ll do it for you: it’s a no-brainer about no-brainers!
gravenimage says
Trump is actually right–Gaza *could* be a riviera. But not with Islam–particularly Hamas–running things there.
Charles Ford says
The fallacy of the argument is Islam. They will not permit land to be lost to their politicized religion. Not the case in the historical examples presented.
Rarely says
Hugh,
Just because something was done a few times historically doesn’t mean that it was the right thing to do then.
More importantly, it doesn’t mean that that something is the right thing to do now even though it has been done before.
It’s all academic, of course, since there is no way that the Arabs would agree to the resettling of the Gazans. I still believe that it is just Trump’s way to get the oil-rich Gulf countries to get involved in financing Gaza’s reconstruction and reorganization. Perhaps they would even control the new Gaza and turn it into a more peaceful and productive place by their involvement. (OK, so I’m dreaming but I don’t think any country would want to throw their money down a rabbit hole.)
Charles Ford says
Good points I agree in part and disagreeing part I think that Trump is positioning it for the oil Sheiks the foot the bill that’s a great observation I also believe he’s setting it up to where ultimately Israel retains control but somebody else pays the price to restore it time will tell