Trump's 'Gaja Initiative' Emerges as the Biggest Variable in Middle East Situation

Criticism Mounts Worldwide Over Trump's Gaza Plan
Concerns Rise Over Escalation of Gaza Crisis and Middle East War
Prospects for Saudi-Israel Normalization Grow Dim

Donald Trump's statement on the "Gaza plan," which involves permanently resettling 2.2 million Palestinians in surrounding Arab countries, has emerged as a major variable in the volatile Middle East situation. Amid strong opposition from various countries and the increasing possibility of a full-scale war in the region, there are criticisms that the United States, which should manage and control the situation, has instead heightened tensions. With the starkly divided positions of countries surrounding the Gaza Strip, it is expected to be difficult for President Trump to once again push for normalization of relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel, a bridge he built during his first term.

Earlier, on the 4th (local time), President Trump announced that "the United States will take over Gaza" and that Palestinians would be relocated from Gaza to third countries. The world immediately reacted with strong opposition to Trump's surprise remarks.

On the 5th (local time), the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement through its spokesperson opposing the forced relocation of Palestinians within Gaza, calling it "a serious violation of international law and an infringement on the legitimate rights of Palestinians." German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also expressed opposition in a statement, saying "civilians in Gaza must not be expelled," while Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, countered, "Our position on the Middle East issue is well known. It can only be resolved based on the two-state solution."

President Trump claimed that he had spoken with leaders of other Middle Eastern countries who also liked this plan very much, but this is not true. Saudi Arabia, a leading Islamic country, immediately issued a statement on the 5th through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, firmly opposing "Israel's (Jewish) resettlement, territorial annexation, and the eviction of Palestinians, which violate Palestinian rights."

The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which Trump had previously identified as a country to accept Gaza residents, clearly opposed the plan, stating that "the reconstruction of Gaza must be carried out without Palestinians leaving Gaza."

The Arab League (AL), composed of 22 Arab countries, also called Trump's proposal for the U.S. to occupy Gaza and relocate Palestinians "shocking," warning that it would "violate international law and cause greater instability."

As criticism poured in from various countries, the White House responded by urging critics to propose solutions in the Middle East instead of just condemning. On the 5th (local time), Mike Waltz, U.S. National Security Advisor at the White House, said regarding Trump's plan for "U.S. control of Gaza," "If people don't like President Trump's solution, I expect the entire region (Middle East) to come up with their own solutions." Waltz added, "No one has a realistic solution to the Gaza issue, so President Trump should not be criticized for coming up with bold, fresh, and new ideas in any way." This was interpreted as meaning that Trump took the lead in addressing the difficult Gaza issue.

There are also forecasts that Trump's foreign policy, which is excessively tilted toward Israel, could become a trigger for escalation in the Gaza crisis and Middle East war that have been deadlocked for over a year. The Gaza crisis, which began on October 7, 2023, with Hamas's attack on Israel, escalated into armed conflicts involving Lebanon's Hezbollah and Yemen's Houthi rebels. Especially, the political adversaries Iran and Israel have fired missiles at each other's mainland, raising concerns that the war could spread throughout the Middle East. The United States, which should manage and coordinate this situation, has instead made statements that fuel the conflict rather than resolve it. The U.S. policy toward Israel, which began with a strong alliance during Trump's first term, has already raised concerns that Palestinian sovereignty and human rights issues in occupied territories may be relatively neglected.

The completeness of the Abraham Accords, which Trump touted as a diplomatic achievement during his first term, has become uncertain. During his first term, Trump highlighted the Abraham Accords, which normalized diplomatic relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, and Morocco, as a major diplomatic achievement. Trump sought to accelerate the Middle East peace and security plan by including Saudi Arabia in the Abraham Accords. However, Saudi Arabia demanded Palestinian independence as a precondition for normalizing relations with Israel, and ultimately, Israel and Saudi Arabia did not establish diplomatic ties. Saudi Arabia declared a complete halt to negotiations after the outbreak of war between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

Following Trump's Gaza plan remarks, Saudi Arabia sent a clear pressure message to the United States, warning that it would not establish diplomatic relations with Israel unless Palestinian independence is guaranteed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.