The Arab League joined a chorus of rejections on Wednesday of President Donald Trump’s plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip.
The 22-member regional grouping said in a statement that Trump’s proposal “represents a recipe for instability” that does not advance Palestinian statehood.
It said it rejected the displacement of the Palestinians and that Gaza was an integral part of any future Palestinian state.
Trump’s suggestion came at a White House news conference on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who smiled several times as the president detailed a plan to build new settlements for Palestinians outside the Gaza Strip, and for the US to take “ownership” in redeveloping the war-torn territory into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump said. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site, level the site, and get rid of the destroyed buildings, level it out, create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs.”
His remarks drew swift opposition from allies and adversaries alike.
