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US Lawmakers Mostly Skeptical at Trump Proposal for US to ‘Take Over’ Gaza
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meet at the White House in Washington, DC, US, Feb. 4, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Elizabeth Frantz
US lawmakers from both major parties mostly pushed back against President Donald Trump’s bombshell declaration that the US would “take over” the Gaza Strip to build the war-torn Palestinian enclave back up, with some members of Congress accusing Trump of endangering American troops, destabilizing the Middle East, and floating an ethnic cleansing campaign in Gaza.
On Tuesday night, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who was visiting the White House, held a press conference following their private meeting in the Oval Office. Trump asserted that the US would assume control of Gaza and develop it economically into “the Riviera of the Middle East” after Palestinians are resettled elsewhere.
“The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,” Trump told reporters. “We’ll own it and be responsible for dismantling all of the dangerous unexploded bombs and other weapons on the site.”
“We’re going to develop it, create thousands and thousands of jobs, and it’ll be something that the entire Middle East can be very proud of,” Trump added. “I do see a long-term ownership position and I see it bringing great stability to that part of the Middle East.”
He suggested that Palestinians “should not go through a process of rebuilding” be relocated to other countries in the region, at least for the time being.
“That’s insane. I can’t think of a place on earth that would welcome American troops less and where any positive outcome is less likely,” Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) said of the idea.
Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), one of the most strident allies of Israel in Congress, expressed skepticism about Trump’s proposal, calling it “problematic.”
“We’ll see what the Arab world says, but you know, that’d be problematic at many, many levels,” Graham said.
Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA) repudiated Trump’s comments as “nuts” and suggested that members of both parties would be opposed to an American takeover of Gaza.
“I don’t know where this came from, but I can tell you … that would not get many expressions of support from Democrats or Republicans up here,” Kaine said.
Sen. Rand Paul rebuked the idea of sending American troops to secure Gaza, likening the proposal to an “occupation.”
“I thought we voted for America First. We have no business contemplating yet another occupation to doom our treasure and spill our soldiers’ blood,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) said.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that Trump has not committed to putting US troops on the ground in Gaza as part of his proposal, saying the US needs to be involved in the rebuilding of Gaza “to ensure stability in the region” but that “does not mean boots on the ground” in the enclave.
Meanwhile, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) dismissed the seriousness of Trump’s proposal, instead accusing the president of using Gaza as a distraction.
“I have news for you — we aren’t taking over Gaza. But the media and the chattering class will focus on it for a few days and Trump will have succeeded in distracting everyone from the real story — the billionaires seizing government to steal from regular people,” Murphy said on X/Twitter.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC) also expressed skepticism that the plan would ever come to fruition.
“Obviously it’s not going to happen. I don’t know under what circumstance it would make sense even, even for Israel”
Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI), the only Palestinian American in Congress and an outspoken critic of Israel, was apoplectic at Trump’s proposal, accusing the president of orchestrating an “ethnic cleansing” effort.
“Palestinians aren’t going anywhere. This president can only spew this fanatical bulls—t because of bipartisan support in Congress for funding genocide and ethnic cleansing,” Tlaib wrote on X/Twitter.
However, a handful of lawmakers expressed support for Trump’s proposal to completely overhaul Gaza.
Speaker of the House Rep. Mike Johnson (R-LA) praised Trump’s press conference as “strong and decisive.”
“We’ve got to stand in an unwavering manner with Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East. The strong and decisive move is an important step in that regard,” Johnson said.
“It just makes sense to make the neighborhood there safer,” he added. “It’s common sense.”
Likewise, Rep. Marsha BlackburnT (R-TN) stated that Trump’s proposal “will eliminate Hamas terrorists and create economic prosperity.”
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), one of the strongest defenders of Israel in Congress, called Trump’s comments “provocative” but “part of a conversation.”
“The Palestinians have refused, or they’ve been unwilling to deliver, a government that provided security and economic development for themselves,” Fetterman said. “They allowed Oct. 7 to occur, and now Gaza has to be rebuilt. Where are the people going to live? Where are they going to go? So it’s part of a conversation with where they’re at right now.”
While many foreign policy experts opposed Trump’s proposal for reasons similar to those expressed by lawmakers, others saw potential merit, suggesting that relocating civilians from Gaza would bolster Israel’s safety and provide Palestinians with a better quality of life.
“To be clear, the position that human beings must remained trapped in ruins to be used as human shields for a brutal terrorist organization and political pawns in a 77-year war to destroy the State of Israel is the anti-human rights position,” wrote Richard Goldberg, senior adviser for the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD).
David Friedman, the US ambassador to Israel during the first Trump administration, praised Trump’’ plan, saying that “most people in Gaza wanted to leave even before 10/7 [Hamas’s invasion of Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which started the Gaza war], but no one would take them in.”
“Assuming civilians agree to leave but Hamas sympathizers and terrorists do not, Hamas will be deprived of its most strategic weapon — human shields — and its eradication will be accelerated,” Friedman continued.
Steve Witkoff, the current US special envoy to the Middle East, hinted at support for Trump’s plan, arguing that Palestinians in Gaza deserve a “better life” and “better opportunities.”
“A better life is not necessarily tied to the physical space that you’re in today,” Witkoff said to Fox News host Sean Hannity. “That doesn’t occur because you get to pitch a tent in the Gaza Strip.”
Trump’s press conference echoed comments he made to reporters earlier on Tuesday, in which he also called for the relocation of Gaza’s civilians to Egypt, Jordan, and other Arab states, referring to the enclave as a “demolition site” and saying residents have “no alternative” but to leave.
“[The Palestinians] have no alternative right now” but to leave Gaza, Trump told reporters before Netanyahu arrived. “I mean, they’re there because they have no alternative. What do they have? It is a big pile of rubble right now.”
Despite Trump’s insistence, Arab leaders have adamantly rejected the president’s proposal, claiming that they would not absorb civilians from the war-torn Gaza Strip. Trump has not offered any specifics about how a resettlement process could be implemented.
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World’s Jewish Communities Condemn Antisemitic Shooting Outside DC Museum, Urge Swift Action Amid Rising Threats
Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Lynn Milgrim who were shot and killed as they left an event at the Capital Jewish Museum, pose for a picture at an unknown location, in this handout image released by Embassy of Israel to the US on May 22, 2025. Photo: Embassy of Israel to the USA via X/Handout via REUTERS
Jewish communities worldwide have strongly condemned the antisemitic shooting in Washington, DC, on Wednesday night, calling for stronger government action as fears mount over a potential rise in violence following the deadly assault on two Israeli embassy staffers in the US capital.
The victims were fatally shot outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington while leaving an event for young professionals and diplomatic staff hosted by the American Jewish Committee (AJC).
The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Elias Rodriguez from Chicago, chanted “Free Palestine, Free Palestine” after being taken into custody. He also reportedly said, “I did it for Gaza.”
Leading Jewish groups and figures around the world quickly decried the act of violence, expressing alarm about the global surge in antisemitism and noting the connection between anti-Israel animus and antisemitic hate crimes.
In France, the Representative Council of Jewish Institutions (CRIF) condemned the shooting, calling it a “hateful crime” and emphasizing that “no political cause can ever legitimize antisemitism.”
“Make no mistake: targeting a Jewish museum and murdering two people while shouting ‘Free Palestine’ is not an act of solidarity — it is a hateful crime, a continuation of the antisemitic violence seen on Oct. 7, now echoed on other shores,” Yonathan Arfi, president of the CRIF, wrote in a statement on X, referring to Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, massacre across southern Israel. Antisemitic incidents have spiked worldwide in the aftermath of the onslaught, the deadliest attack on Jews since the Holocaust.
“What happened in Washington is a grim reminder that hatred of Jews, disguised as anti-Israel sentiment, is a global menace that knows no borders,” Arfi continued.
Sadness and outrage after the attack carried out last night in Washington
Make no mistake: targeting a Jewish museum and murdering two people while shouting “Free Palestine” is not an act of solidarity—it is a hateful crime, a continuation of the antisemitic violence seen on… https://t.co/cUrVqLE4dK
— CRIF (@Le_CRIF) May 22, 2025
According to local authorities, the victims were Yaron Lischinsky, a 30-year-old research assistant in the political department at the Israeli embassy in Washington, and Sarah Milgrim, a 26-year-old embassy staffer who organized trips to Israel. The young couple was soon to be engaged.
Ted Deutch, CEO of the AJC, denounced the attack, saying the organization stands with the victims’ families and the broader Jewish community as they grieve the tragic loss.
“These are the worst fears of the Jewish community coming true. This was an act of pure evil, and what it did was send shockwaves through the Jewish community around the world,” Deutch said during an interview on Fox News.
“These are the worst fears of the Jewish community coming true. This was an act of pure evil, & what it did was send shockwaves through the Jewish community around the world.”
On @foxandfriends I explained how Jews are feeling about the violence that took place outside an… pic.twitter.com/PkXvucVB9k
— Ted Deutch, CEO of American Jewish Committee (@AJCCEO) May 22, 2025
Amid a sharp rise in antisemitism and anti-Jewish hate crimes since the Hamas-led Oct. 7 invasion of Israel, the shooting on Wednesday night has ignited widespread condemnation from leaders and Jewish communities worldwide, while intensifying fears of further attacks.
In the UK, the Board of Deputies of British Jews and the Community Security Trust (CST) — the latter of which is a nonprofit charity that advises Britain’s Jewish community on security matters — also denounced the attack, calling for the suspect to face “the full force of the law.”
“This kind of terrorism is a global threat to all Jewish communities that has risen significantly since Oct. 7, and it is the reason why there is so much security across the Jewish community in the UK,” CST wrote in a statement on X.
CST condemns the terrorist murder of two Israel Embassy staff outside the Jewish Museum in Washington DC. Our thoughts are with their family and colleagues at this awful time. This kind of terrorism is a global threat to all Jewish communities that has risen significantly since 7… pic.twitter.com/Qo2VNe33ka
— CST (@CST_UK) May 22, 2025
On Thursday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced heightened security at Israeli embassies worldwide as a preventive measure following the deadly attack on US soil.
“We are witnessing the terrible price of antisemitism and the wild incitement against the State of Israel,” Netanyahu said in a statement. “The blood libels against Israel are costing us blood and must be fought relentlessly.”
“My heart aches with the families of the young couple, whose lives were cut short by a despicable antisemitic murderer,” the Israeli leader continued. “I have ordered security arrangements to be boosted in Israeli diplomatic missions around the world and around representatives of the state.”
In a statement on X, Ronald Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress (WJC), denounced the attack as “a devastating reminder that the danger facing Jewish communities is not history.”
Lauder called on US President Donald Trump and global leaders to act swiftly to bolster security at Jewish institutions around the world.
“Though this brazen act of violence occurred on American soil, its message was meant to cause Jews everywhere to tremble with fear,” he wrote. “But let there be no mistake — this act of terror will not drive us into the shadows. We will not hide our faces or our symbols. We will live openly and proudly, as a courageous people.”
Last night’s attack outside the Jewish Museum, which claimed the lives of Yaron Lishinsky z’’l and Sarah Milgram z’’l, is a devastating reminder that the danger facing Jewish communities is not history—it is real and everpresent.
These were two individuals who dedicated their…
— Ronald S. Lauder (@lauder_ronald) May 22, 2025
In Argentina, the Delegation of Argentine Israelite Associations (DAIA) voiced strong condemnation of the attack and stood in solidarity with the victims’ families, while warning about “the alarming rise in antisemitic acts fueled by fierce demonization and delegitimization of the State of Israel.”
In a show of support, the South African Jewish Board of Deputies (SAJBD) also condemned the “cold-blooded crime,” emphasizing that it was “premeditated and did not happen in a vacuum.”
“This attack underscores the ongoing vulnerability of Jewish communities around the world,” the statement read. “Antisemitism across the world has increased, including in South Africa, where we are seeing more attacks on our community members, including physical assault.”
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Pope Leo XIV’s First Message to Jewish Community Was ‘Extraordinary,’ American Rabbi Says
Pope Leo XIV holds an audience with representatives of the media in Paul VI hall at the Vatican, May 12, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Guglielmo Mangiapane
Rabbi Noam Marans, director of interreligious affairs at the American Jewish Committee (AJC), spoke with The Algemeiner this week about being among a number of faith leaders to meet with newly elected Pope Leo XIV, and why he has optimism for Catholic-Jewish relations.
“In his remarks [to a couple hundred faith leaders this month], he [Leo] had a few minutes directly speaking to the Jewish people. And those words were extremely important at a time of challenge in Catholic-Jewish relations,” Marans said. “His remarks to the Jewish people have actually been extraordinary.”
Leo — who was elected to become the next bishop of Rome and head of the Catholic Church earlier this month following the death of Pope Francis in late April, becoming the first American to hold the position — reportedly said, “Even in these difficult times, marked by conflicts and misunderstandings, it is necessary to continue the momentum of this precious dialogue of ours.”
“This is an extraordinary sentence to be saying on his first message to the Jewish people,” Marans explained. “I mean, he’s referring to now, not the history of the relationship. Why is this important? Because the pope is demonstrating, is recognizing that there have been challenges in recent months. During the waning days of Pope Francis’ tenure.”
Francis, Leo’s predecessor, had become an increasingly vocal critic of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza in the months before his death.
During his pontificate, Francis strongly condemned antisemitism and promoted interfaith dialogue between Jewish and Catholic communities. However, he also drew the ire of pro-Israel supporters and Jewish leaders, including the chief rabbi of Rome, for his sharp words against the Jewish state.
This is not the first time in Leo’s new role that he has reached out to the Jewish community. On May 8, he sent a letter to Marans that emphasized his commitment to strengthening the Catholic Church’s “dialogue and cooperation” with the world’s Jewish communities.
“Trusting in the assistance of the Almighty, I pledge to continue and strengthen the Church’s dialogue and cooperation with the Jewish people in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate,” he wrote.
The Nostra Aetate was a declaration from the Second Vatican Council and promulgated in 1965 by Pope Paul VI that called for dialogue and respect between Christianity and other religions.
“I left that meeting and my entire visit here with optimism. But since I’m a Jewish leader, I tend towards guarded optimism,” Marans said of his meeting with Leo.
In some ways, Marans continued, he expects Leo to be a continuation of Francis. “That means that he will be condemning antisemitism. Using his bully pulpit in a very productive way. The way that Francis did. Describing it as sin against God and un-Christian.”
However, despite the fact that he expects there also to be criticism of Israel, Marans said that he thinks “it will probably be delivered less extemporaneously and more diplomatically” than it was by Francis.
In his first Sunday blessing, Leo took time to comment on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war. He called for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages that the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas took during its Oct. 7, 2023, invasion of and massacre across southern Israel.
“I am deeply saddened by what is happening in Gaza,” Leo said. “May a ceasefire immediately come into effect … Let humanitarian aid be given to the exhausted civilian population, and let all hostages be freed.”
And in a post on X on Wednesday, Leo wrote, “The situation in the Gaza Strip is increasingly worrying and painful. I renew my heartfelt appeal to allow the entry of dignified humanitarian aid and to bring an end to the hostilities, whose heart-rending price is borne by children, the elderly, and the sick.”
When asked what particularly stuck out to him about the meeting with Leo, Marans said that “the letter to me, and in the speech, he reaffirmed his commitment to Nostra Aetate. And that is the central pillar. The rest is commentary.”
He continued, explaining, “It was a warm environment,” and that “He was very welcoming of the Jewish community. We sense that he understands the relationship that he’s prioritizing.”
Underscoring the strong Jewish-Catholic relationship, Marans said, “Imagine a world in which we’re dealing with the pain of antisemitism that we’ve had in Europe for many years, and now in America, and not having people like Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archbishop of New York speaking out all the time. Not having the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops working with us on an amazing project … to work together collaboratively to counter antisemitism.”
Having the strong relationship that the two communities have today, despite the challenges, Marans said, would be “unimaginable 15 years ago, let alone 100 years ago.”
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Irish Rap Group Kneecap Vows to Fight Terrorism Charge Over Band Member’s Alleged Hezbollah Support
Members of Kneecap pose on the red carpet at the Irish Film and Television Academy (IFTA) Awards in Dublin, Ireland, Feb. 14, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
A member of Irish hip hop trio Kneecap has been charged with a terrorism offense in the United Kingdom for displaying a flag in support of the Hezbollah terrorist organization, London’s Metropolitan Police said on Wednesday.
Liam O’Hanna, 27, of Belfast has been charged with displaying a flag “in support of Hezbollah, a proscribed organization” following an investigation by the Metropolitan Police’s Counter Terrorism Command.
The charge is related to a flag that O’Hanna displayed during a Kneecap concert in November 2024 at the O2 Forum in London. The Metropolitan Police said the musician displayed the flag “in such a way or in such circumstances as to arouse reasonable suspicion that he is a supporter of a proscribed organization, namely Hezbollah,” in violation of the UK’s Terrorism Act of 2000.
“Officers from the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command were made aware on Tuesday, April 22 of an online video from the event. An investigation was carried out, which led to the Crown Prosecution Service authorizing the above charge,” police said in a statement. O’Hanna is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on June 18.
Kneecap said in a statement on X they believe the terrorism charge is an effort “to prosecute artists who dare speak out.” The trio claimed O’Hanna displayed a flag that had been thrown on stage, and did not mention Hezbollah by name even once in their lengthy statement.
“We deny this ‘offense’ and will vehemently defend ourselves,” Kneecap said. “This is political policing. This is a carnival of distraction. We are not the story. Genocide is. … We are on the right side of history. You are not. We will fight you in court. We will win. Free Palestine.”
In their statement, the group also condemned the British government for supporting Israel and claimed British leaders “have abetted slaughter and famine in Gaza, just as they did in Ireland for centuries.”
“The IDF [Israel Defense Forces] units they arm and fly spy plane missions for are the real terrorists,” they claimed.
The Algemeiner previously reported that counter-terrorism police in the UK were investigating the band from Northern Ireland after videos emerged online that showed a Kneecap member shout “up Hamas, up Hezbollah” while having a Hezbollah flag draped over his shoulder during the 2024 concert in London. Hezbollah and Hamas are designated by the UK as terrorist organizations, and it is illegal in the country to express support for the two Iran-backed Islamist groups.
Counter-terrorism police were also investigating footage from a 2023 Kneecap concert in which a band member called for the killing of British Members of Parliament [MPs]. A Kneecap member had shouted on stage: “The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP.” Two British MPs, Jo Cox and David Amess, have been murdered in the last 10 years.
In April, Kneecap apologized to the families of Cox and Amess in a released statement and said they have never supported Hamas or Hezbollah. The trio claimed videos from their concerts in 2023 and 2024 have been “deliberately taken out of all context” as part of a “smear campaign” against the group because of its criticism of Israel’s military actions in the Gaza Strip during the Israel-Hamas war. Kneecap has been publicly critical of Israel on social media and on stage during their concerts.
During the band’s set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April, Kneecap projected on the backdrop of their stage messages that said “F–k Israel, Free Palestine” and “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people.” They also led the crowd at Coachella to chant “Free, Free Palestine.”
A number of their scheduled performances at music festivals this summer have been canceled by organizers because of the band’s controversial comments. Organizers of the Glastonbury Festival scheduled for June are also facing increasing pressure from British politicians and members of the entertainment industry to remove Kneecap from its lineup of performers. The UK’s Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said on Monday he thinks the UK and Irish governments should “consider their actions” in relation to providing any funding to Kneecap.
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