Donald Trump wants to buy Gaza. Or more specifically, he wants the USA to buy and control Gaza. In a statement he said “we’re committed to owning it, taking it, and making sure that Hamas doesn’t move back” (Reynolds 2025). This has resulted in the latest round of global outrage at Donald Trump. In the opening days of DT47, global leaders seemed open and receptive to a post Biden America. The honeymoon seems clearly over. Many outside America have been infected with the same disease that the Democrats inside America have caught once again – TDS.
Like COVID, TDS never went away, but following the election and repeated legal victories by Trump, there seemed to be some realization that Trump was not the Devil, or was at least Devil they could do business with. TDS, better known as Trump Derangement Syndrome, is real. One can see it in the recent video of Democratic law makers trying to break into the Department of Education, only to be rebuffed by a guy in a polo shirt. It seems to infect people whenever Trump proposes something new or different. Yes, some of it is kinda wild and crazy, and not well thought out, but much of it deserves consideration. Clearly, the idea of the United States “owning” Gaza is “outside the box.” Some, including Francesca Albanese, a purportedly independent expert, appointed by the UN Human Rights Council to monitor human rights in the Palestinian occupied territories occupied since 1967 argue that such a move is illegal and irresponsible. She also claimed it was immoral and would be worse than ethnic cleansing (Cohn 2025). I’m unsure what is legal, responsible or moral about the rape, torture and murder of 1,269 victims of October 7, 2023, but why squabble over such small details when we are talking about human rights.
It’s also important to remember who launched the attack. This isn’t Texas invading New Mexico. Article 7 of the Hamas Charter describes the mission of Hamas as the “Islamic Resistance Movement” and as “one of the links in the chain of the struggle against the Zionist invader.” In Article 8 it states “Jihad is its path and death for the sake of Allah is the loftiest of its wishes” (2023).
Although I am unsure of Ms. Albanese would test positive for TDS, many others, mostly members of the Democratic party in the United States have been infected. Representative Rashida Tlaib (D-MI) posted on X that the Trump plan calls for ethnic cleansing and that Trump proposed his plan while “sitting next to a genocidal war criminal.” At the time he was giving a joint press conference with Bejamin Netanyahu. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy (CT) described the Trump plan as “A U.S. invasion of Gaza” (Irwin 2025). I could give more examples, but I think you see the point.
Trumps’ grand idea – a Middle East Marshall Plan, similar to the plan to rebuild Europe and Japan after World War II, recognizes that Gaza is uninhabitable. While a Middle East Marshall Plan, or perhaps a more timely “Middle East Mar-a-Largo Plan” (MEMaLoP) is probably not illegal, it is naive, and would be nearly impossible to implement, for reasons outlined in countless analysis of the plan including here, here, and here, rebuilding Gaza needs to happen. Failure to rebuild the territory will only fuel the hatred bred by Hamas, and lead to more fighting and more death for mostly Palestinians.
The Marshall Plan, officially named the European Recovery Program, was designed to rebuild Europe through economic recovery programs totaling over $13 billion. This is the equivalent to approximately $174 billion in 2025. The goals included; rebuilding regions of Europe ravaged by war, modernizing industry, and removing trade barriers as a means to improve European prosperity. An additional and important goal was to prevent the spread of communism. Replace communism with religious based violence and the goals of MEMaLoP remain the same.
The problem with such a plan to Make Gaza Great Again is that Gaza in 2025 is not Europe in 1948. Rational critics, who have yet to succumb to TDS recognize this. In Europe (and Japan) you had a defeated enemy government that had unconditionally surrendered. It had agreed to put down arms and to be governed by the Allied nations. In Gaza, none of this is true. In Gaza, there is a temporary cease-fire that could fall apart at any time. The Hamas government has not agreed to surrender or to lay down its arms. Nations such as Iran continue to support Hamas. As long as these are the conditions on the ground MEMaLoP cannot succeed.
If a plan to rebuild Gaze similar to the Marshall Plan could ever be successfully implemented it actually could make Gaza great again. The people of Israel and people living in Gaza deserve to live life without constant threat of war, without constant fear of terrorism or of Israeli retaliation. It would be good for the Israelis, the Palestinians, and the entire region. Trump is wrong if he thinks America can rebuild Gaza they way it rebuilt major urban areas in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s, or the way he rebuilt parts of New York City in the 80’s and 90’s. Urban renewal displaced thousands of mostly minority and low-income residents in order to build highways. It resulted in low- and middle-income housing (including housing build by Trumps father Fred Trump), and contributed to gentrification. Later, Trump and other developers took advantage of this and made millions building luxury hotels and skyscrapers. Like it or not, it’s the American way, not that Middle East way.
For many this model did not work well in America, and will not work in Gaza. Trump is right when he claims Gaza is uninhabitable. Critics are at best disingenuous when they claim he wants to committee genocide or displace the Palestinians now living in the region. As of January 2025, 90% of the population, or 1.9 million of the approximate 2.2 million people living in Gaza were already displaced. Before the war 64% of the population was living in Poverty, today nearly 100%. The cost of basic good has risen nearly 200%. The United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) estimates it could take 21 years just to clear the 50 million tons of debris (BBC 2025).
It is completely understandable that people want to return to their homes. It houses their memories, their treasures, and artifacts of their history. They should be allowed to return, to gather their memories, treasures and artifacts of their lives. The rebuilding of Gaza must make accommodations for this. There must also be a recognition from all that returning to the status quo is no longer an option. Israel cannot face constant threat from Hamas, Hezbollah, or other neighborhood bullies. Israel must also recognize and support real change. Any rebuilding of Gaza will take cooperation for all players in the region. It would take a lot of money from nations around the world as well as from private investment.
In some ways, this creates an opportunity for new relationships to develop and better understandings of difference. Using the Abraham Accords as a launching point, this could be a reflection time in history, or it could be just the latest in a string of conflicts in a centuries old dispute over land, religion, and human rights.
Unfortunately, none of this will happen until Hamas is defeated. Hamas, as stated in it’s Charter and made clear in its’ action, has no interest in peace, or compromise. While there is legitimate criticism to be made of Israeli action, how can anyone expect Isreal to act any differently facing such threats? Would the US ignore such threats from Canada or Mexico? I think not.
Any possibility of a Riviera of the Middle East requires that both sides have a shared goal of sustainable peace, and to live in harmony with each other. That does not exist today. Most of the world has figured out how to live together with different values, different religious practices and different understandings. Despite centuries of conflict over disputed land, and disputed Gods, overcoming these obstacles could Make Gaza Great Again.
SOURCES:
(2023). "Doctrine of Hamas." Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/doctrine-hamas.
BBC (2025, January 16). "Gaza Strip in maps: How 15 months of war have drastically changed life in the territory." Retrieved February 12, 2025, from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-20415675.
Cohn, M. (2025, February 9). "Trump Plan for Gaza “Worse Than Ethnic Cleansing,” Says UN Human Rights Expert." Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://truthout.org/articles/trump-plan-for-gaza-worse-than-ethnic-cleansing-says-un-human-rights-expert/.
Irwin, L. (2025, Fwebruary 5). "Democrats rip Trump Gaza takeover plan: ‘Openly calling for ethnic cleansing’." Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://thehill.com/policy/international/5127616-gaza-donald-trump-democrats-ethnic-cleansing/.
Reynolds, J. (2025, February 10). "Trump doubles down on Gaza plans despite furious global outrage." Retrieved February 10, 2025, from https://www.msn.com/en-ph/politics/government/trump-doubles-down-on-gaza-plans-despite-furious-global-outrage/ar-AA1yJYRC?ocid=BingNewsSerp.