The Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs(ECFA) rejects the statements made by US President Donald Trump, whether before or after his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Washington on February 4, in which he indicated that the United States will seize the Gaza Strip under the pretext of its reconstruction. That is, the United States wants to replace Israel as the new occupying power for the Gaza Strip, which was completely destroyed by direct U.S. military support for Israel in its genocidal war against the population of the Strip.
The Council expresses its deep regret that President Trump has treated the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination on their land with such disregard and irresponsibility, in violation of the provisions of international law and the Charter of the United Nations. In this context, the Council stresses that Trump’s behavior in this way represents a severe blow to the credibility of the United States, which has been a critical element in America’s strength, security and international obligations as a great power, often claiming to be a reliable defender of the rules and principles of post-World War II international relations.
It is regrettable that President Trump links his alleged plan to displace Gazans to a broader political plan said to “end the conflict,” without clear guarantees for the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and their right of return. The US President’s statements blatantly ignore sincere international efforts to rebuild Gaza within a just political framework, and that any lasting solution must be based on ending the occupation and guaranteeing the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people.
The Council, as one of the Egyptian civil society organizations, affirms its unequivocal support for the position of the Government and people of Egypt that totally rejects any ideas aimed at the displacement of the Palestinian people from their occupied land and attempts to impose permanent resettlement on the people of Gaza, under any pretext.
The Council is confident that the overwhelming majority of the international community, States and international organizations, will reject this colonial logic of seizing the territories of other States, bringing us back to the era of chaos and the arrogance of power.
