Trump's Gaza colonisation.is deranged and dangerous

Donald Trump referred to the Palestinian population of Gaza and the horrors they’ve endured there as bad luck” no less than four times, as if the history of the enclave could be put down to an unfortunate error of town planning.

- SAM KILEY

“I also strongly believe that the Gaza Strip, which has been a symbol of death and destruction for so many decades and so bad for the people anywhere near it, and especially those who live there and frankly who’s been really very unlucky. It’s been very unlucky. It’s been an unlucky place for a long time,” he told a joint press conference with Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister.

He went on to say that he thought it would be a good idea if the US took over the Gaza Strip – that its “1.8 million” residents be moved to countries with “humanitarian hearts”, ending this run of “death and destruction and frankly bad luck”.

This is, of course, deeply unethical and – if realised – tantamount to committing crimes against humanity in the form of ethnic cleansing. Yet Trump, who wants to always put America First, appears to believe his views should be considered as a priority.

The 47th president has a refreshing disregard for history. For him there is no context to stifle “can do” ideas. ”The US will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it too. We’ll own it,” Trump said. US history in the Middle East and the Islamic world over the last 30 years has seen failure repeat itself: first as tragedy, then farce and ultimately horror.