PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MAR-A-GAZA: conceived in cultural ignorance

PRESIDENT TRUMP’S MAR-A-GAZA: conceived in cultural ignorance

February 10, 2025 Off By Mike

It appears that President Donald Trump views every situation through the real-estate lenses of Mar-a-Lago, his luxurious 126-room, 5,810-square-meter mansion in Florida. According to Mr. Trump, the solution to the Gaza conflict, which has now claimed nearly 50,000 lives, isn’t based on mercy, as Bishop Budde urged, but rather on transforming Gaza into a Middle Eastern Riviera—a “Mar-a-Gaza,” if you will. This notion not only oversimplifies the complexities of a region entrenched in conflict, but it also highlights the profound ignorance of Western leaders who approach the Middle East with NO understanding of its cultural worldviews.

At a news conference on Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington, Trump said he wanted to demolish the remaining structures in Gaza and transform the territory under U.S. “ownership.”  He proposed creating the seaside enclave into a Middle Easter Riviera resort that would draw people from around the globe and resettling Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan.  “The U.S. will take over the Gaza Strip and we will do a job with it, too.  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 and housing for the people of the area. Do a real job, do something different.”

Donald Trump said his plan would be for the US to “take over” the Gaza strip, rebuild it from the rubble – and keep it.  He added that people “from around the world” would be allowed to live in the newly refurbished land.  But that doesn’t include the 1.7 million Palestinians who call Gaza home.

Under Trump’s plan, Palestinians would be resettled somewhere in a “nice, happy place”. He suggested Jordan and Egypt could offer land for displaced Palestinians to live in.

Such a move would amount to a foreign power which has no stake in the region invading, ousting the rightful owners and occupying it permanently, which is unlikely to comply with international law.  This is regarded by the UN as well as the ICC as “ethnic cleansing” and condemned in the strongest terms under international law

Tragically, Mr. Trump has already made provisions to support his actions by withdrawing from the so-called “antisemitic” UN Human Rights Council and ending all support for the UN Relief and Works Agency. Additionally, the Trump administration has implemented sanctions against the International Criminal Court (ICC). Consequently, Trump’s “ethnic-cleansing” initiative can be carried out without accountability to the people of Gaza or the international community. Furthermore, Trump has not ruled out the possibility of deploying American troops to invade Gaza—a move that Mr. Netanyahu would undoubtedly welcome.

The people of Gaza immediately rejected the proposals, saying Trump’s statement was “irresponsible” and risked flaring up conflict in the region.  Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestinian Authority said the plan amounted to a “serious violation of international law.”

However, beyond the legal and moral implications of flouting international law and engaging in ethnic cleansing, there are deeper, more profound issues that need to be considered, especially by the commander-in-chief of the largest Christian nation in the world.

Here are 6

  1. DISPLACING THE DISPLACED

The first and foremost mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the complete disregard, even ignorance, of the historic and human suffering of the people of Gaza.  Dr. Yohanna Katanacho, currently the academic dean at Nazareth Evangelical College in Nazareth, Israel, and a cherished brother in Christ, writes the following:

My heart is in pain. Most of the people of Gaza are already refugees from 1948 and 1967. They have been kicked out of the homes before, and this is now happening again and again The people of Gaza are so scared of being forced out of their own homes once again and their dream is simply to go back to their original homes in Jaffa and Haifa and in other places. And yet, even that dream is not possible, not even for a visit.  And now they are going to kick them out of their second homes again. They are expecting them to have multiple homes every few decades.  This is extremely unfortunate and oppressive.

  1. RIGHTING A WRONG

The second mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the assumption that righting a wrong will satisfy the people of Gaza. While Western cultures are predominantly driven by a worldview of “right and wrong”, the Middle Eastern perspective is deeply rooted in “honour and shame”. This is of paramount importance. The people of Gaza view their situation not through the lenses of rebuilding structures, but through the need to restore honour, dignity and humanity. Deporting them, taking their land, and then offering them a place where others will decide where and how they will live, is perceived as a profound shame and a breach of their dignity.

It appears that Mr. Trump and Mr. Netanyahu believe they can sooth their own conscience by attempting to right a wrong they have committed. However, this only exacerbates the pain. When Mr. Trump refers to the rubble and destruction, there is no mention of the fact that the U.S. supplied the bombs responsible for the devastation. Since the war in Gaza began, the United States has spent at least $17.9 billion on military aid to Israel. The people of Gaza are not “unlucky,” as Mr. Trump stated in his speech; they are victims of genocide and aggression perpetrated by Israel and the USA.

Restoration needs justice and forgiveness, not repatriation.

  1. COMFORT ABOVE HERITAGE

The third mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the assumption that the people of Gaza will choose comfort above heritage.  For the people of Gaza life centres around the land that was inhabited by their fathers and for-fathers.  Land holds profound significance to the people of the Middle East for a variety of reasons:

  • Historical and Cultural Heritage: Land in the Middle East is steeped in history and is the birthplace of many ancient civilizations. This deep historical connection fosters a strong sense of identity and cultural heritage among the people.
  • Religious Significance: Many of the world’s major religions, including Islam, Judaism, and Christianity, have sacred sites located in the Middle East. These sites are tied to religious narratives and practices, making the land spiritually invaluable.
  • Survival and Livelihood: In regions where agriculture is possible, land represents sustenance and survival. Access to fertile land is crucial for farming communities and has been so for millennia.
  • National and Political Identity: Control over land is often linked to national sovereignty and political power. Borders and territories are a major source of national pride and geopolitical strategy.
  • Resource Access: The Middle East is rich in natural resources, particularly oil and natural gas. Control over land often translates into control over these valuable resources, which can significantly impact economic stability and development.
  • Social Structure: In many Middle Eastern cultures, land ownership is tied to family and tribal structures. Land is often passed down through generations, maintaining family legacy and social ties.

The confluence of these factors makes land a deeply significant and contested aspect of life in the Middle East.

For Mr.Trump to turn the “holy land”  into a Western, secular, “Christian”, immoral Riviera is beyond comprehension.  The people of Gaza do not see Gaza as real estate, like Mr.Trump does, but as home and as valued.  It will only happen – over their dead bodies!

  1. THE AMERICAN DREAM AND THE GAZA DREAM

The fourth mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the assumption that the American Dream is a Gaza dream also – a fallacy that comfort and security supersede all other values.  This is not the Gaza dream.   The people of Gaza, as like most people in the Middle East, are guided and led by different values and priorities.  Yes, they seek security for their families, a future for their children, and a peaceful existence for their communities but not at the cost of their land, their values and their heritage – all of which have already been destroyed by America and Israel.

  1. TEMPTED BY MATERIALISM

The next mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the assumption that the people of Gaza can be tempted  by a western value system of materialism in a community that is dominated by faith. People of the Middle East are not interested in casinos, entertainment, nightclubs and all the vices that the Western Christian culture offers. It thrives on lifestyles that revers faith and culture.  Being forcefully removed from your home, regardless if it is buried under rubble , your mosque, even though it is destroyed and your community, with lives that are lost, cannot be replaced by a Western ideology of material idolatry.

  1. ORDO AMORIS STARTS WITH FAMILY

The final mistake made by Mr. Trump and Western allies is the assumption that the ORDO AMORIS – the order of love – starts by resettling families without restoring communities.  This unbiblical truth was first explained by Vice President JD Vance in a Fox News segment on immigration.  Vance laid out what he called “a very Christian concept”: “You love your family and then you love your neighbour, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country, and then after that, you can focus [on] and prioritize the rest of the world.”

There are a lot of problems with Vance’s drive-by exegesis of Christian texts. Not only does his interpretation run against the dominant message of the Gospels but it also runs against what we are taught throughout scripture.  A perfect example of a Biblical ORDO AMORIS is found in Jeremaiah 29:7  Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the LORD for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”  

The principle here is not that a healthy family will provide a healthy community but that a healthy community will prosper healthy families.  In the Middle East the role of the “community” is highly valued.

IN CLOSING

Compassion is a Biblical concept that requires that we step out of our comfort and reach them in their suffering.  Not to uproot them, send them away and soothing our conscience by turning their place of hardship into another place of comfort for us.  Simply put, this is despicable and self-serving

Living out compassion over comfort involves a conscious decision to prioritize the well-being of others.

May God have mercy on us!

 

SOURCES

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TagsDonald Trump Gaza Middle East Riviera