“RECIPE FOR GENERATING CHAOS”
Trump, who took office for his second term just over two weeks ago, said on Tuesday that there was support from the “highest leadership” in the Middle East for his idea.
“Regardless of what happens diplomatically off centrestage, I’m not sure too many leaders in the region will be stepping up to support Donald Trump,” said Layton.
“He’s been disrupting relations around the world, and leaders will be, to a certain extent, distancing themselves from him and his statements.”
Senior Hamas officials have called Trump’s idea a “recipe for generating chaos” in the region.
Georgetown University’s Hashemi believes Trump has been able to get away with such reckless comments as the Palestinians do not have an organised leadership that can represent them on the international stage.
“I think what we’re seeing here is really a reflection of the huge imbalance in power between the Israelis and the Palestinians,” he said.
“The Palestinians basically have very little political or military power.”
INTERNATIONAL UPROAR
On Wednesday, Trump’s top officials defended his shock plan, but downplayed expectations and dialed back elements of the proposal after facing global condemnation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump wanted Palestinians to be only “temporarily relocated” out of Gaza, instead of permanently resettled in Arab-majority states.
She added that the rebuilding of Gaza would not be paid for by the US, and that American troops were not likely to be sent.
Leavitt said Trump has been clear that “he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees temporarily, so that we can rebuild their home”.
