President Trump's plan on US 'takeover' of Gaza elicits outrage among Palestinians in Brooklyn
BAY RIDGE, Brooklyn (WABC) -- On the streets of Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, Palestinian Americans are both outraged and confused, struggling to understand President Donald Trump's vision for their homeland after he called for a U.S. takeover of Gaza on Tuesday.
"It's their homeland. It's where they're born and raised in, hundreds and hundreds of years of people living there," said Palestinian American Essa Masoud. "You can't just remove them."
After 15 months of fighting, the Gaza Strip is in ruins. The United Nations now estimates that two-thirds of the buildings there are either damaged or destroyed. More than 2 million residents are returning to their bombed-out communities, determined to rebuild their lives.
But on Tuesday, while hosting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump stunned the world, declaring the Palestinians in Gaza should leave, and that Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia should take them in as refugees, and the U.S. would take control of it and redevelop it.
"We have an opportunity to do something that could be phenomenal, and I don't want to be cute," President Trump said. "I don't want to be a wise guy, but the 'Riviera' of the Middle East."
The response was immediate. House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the president's concept.
"He's taking bold, decisive action to try to ensure the peace of that region," Johnson said. "It's a bold move, certainly."
But the overwhelming reaction was disbelief - even anger. Disapproval was near universal from America's allies and adversaries alike, from Palestinians in Gaza to Palestinian Americans in New York.
"It was a slap in the face, really, to all Palestinians and to Muslims," said Palestinian American Abraham Masoud. "We voted for him. I voted for the guy three times. So, this was kind of like, like I said, a slap in the face, and it's hurtful. It's horrible to think that he's not listening to the other side."
Late Wednesday afternoon, the White House press secretary sought to clarify the president's position.
"That does not mean boots on the ground in Gaza," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "It does not mean American taxpayers will be funding this effort. That he expects our partners in the region, particularly Egypt and Jordan, to accept Palestinian refugees temporarily so that we can rebuild their homes.
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