When you can’t criticize someone for what they say you can just make up something they did not say and go after them for that. Many are attacking President Trump by deliberately distorting what he said about resettling Gaza Palestinians. What I heard did NOT include any mention of forcing anyone to leave. Of course, I can’t think of anything that would make me want to stay in Gaza. Gazans used to enjoy a higher average standard of living than many of their near, and not so near neighbors. But that was because Qatar sent them cash (with the blessing of Israeli PM Netanyahu). Without external donations life won’t be as easy. The official initial reaction of most Arab states (and in Europe) was to reject the Trump plan, and justify the rejection by things he did not say. It is interesting that one place where the idea was welcomed by residents was in Gaza.
Hamas, too, has been dependent upon external aid. American sanctions on Iran could easily cause that source to dry up. The Fatah controlled Palestinian Authority has a similar problem. Most West Bank Palestinians think Fatah is corrupt. Mahmoud Abbas, PA President got his Fatah majority parliament to appoint him president for life. He was originally elected to a 4 year term. He has now been in power over 15 years without elections. Without external aid his government cannot afford to pay to have garbage collected. Part of that is because he generously pays the families of convicted terrorists residing in Israeli prisons; the more serious the offense, the bigger the pension.
Final note: The US has opted out of UNRWA, WHO, and the HRC. So has Israel. But there are others who are also halting funds for UNRWA. The latest to do so is Argentina. I cannot help but think that if UNRWA disappears, the “Palestinian refugee” problem will soon also drop out of sight.
Wetherhorn 