FEBRUARY 7 — President Donald Trump announced yet another statement on the Middle East that shook the world. In his press statement with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump surprised many when he mentioned that America will take over Gaza and evict about two million Palestinians. About two weeks into his presidency, Trump is increasingly showing the businessman that he is, treating every issue as a business proposal, devoid of political, historical, and social considerations.
While many think that Trump talks more than he could actually do — which is comforting — there is no denying that Trump’s latest statement invites dangerous implications. For one, Trump should know that states are not businesses with limited liabilities; treating both the same is being imprudent. Evicting Palestinians from their ancestral homeland is ethnic cleansing. It is a crime against humanity and in breach of international law. Going ahead with the plan will have huge security repercussions that could isolate the US diplomatically and cost the US substantial loss of moral authority.
Second, Palestinians, Hamas, and Hezbollah will not take foreign occupation of Gaza lying down. If this plan goes ahead, it will send the Middle East and the world to another round of political turmoil. This time Jordan, Egypt, Iran, Syria, and even Turkey could get involved in what could be a protracted conflict. There is always the possibility that other Middle Eastern countries could be dragged into the conflict. What is certain is that the Abraham Accord — Trump’s brainchild during his first presidency — would be dead in the water.
Third, US occupation of Gaza could invite domestic backlash. Trump should know that his latest statement is against his election pledge, where he promised that America would never again be mired in any costly conflicts abroad. If America’s military venture abroad plus patchy economic and fiscal performance had cost the Democrats considerable support, Trump’s volte-face would invite domestic ire. Fourth, a US invasion of Gaza could only see more countries pandering toward US adversaries, namely Russia and China. Trump’s official statements since his inauguration are hurting America’s moral authority as a global hegemon, and the US’s loss is China and Russia’s gain.
Finally, a US occupation of Gaza could be fodder for terrorist cells to be active again. Syria, which is on a political mend especially after Ahmed Al-Sharaa’s promise of a return to democracy, could be ready ground for terrorist cells that now see fresh reasons to be active.
A Palestinian man clears debris on the first floor of a destroyed building in Jabalia in the northern Gaza Strip on February 5, 2025, during a truce in the war between Israel and Hamas. — AFP pic
There is little doubt that US foreign policy under Trump has been inchoate, erratic, and unsettling, which only complicates existing global issues. Trump’s “Make America Great Again” can work both ways. While it might make America great again, it could also see a more isolated and erratic America that fritters away its political and economic pre-eminence. One notable observation is that the incoherent statements from Washington have translated into a highly volatile global market. Oil prices are on a downtrend since Trump’s announcement to raise production. The last few days have seen steep climb in gold price on inflationary worries. Major currencies have also weakened given threats of trade disputes and the possibility of greater trade protectionism. We could expect more uncertain global markets in the coming months as the world adjusts to the change in US leadership.
More importantly, this latest statement from the US somewhat decidedly indicates that a multipolar world is now a given. The US under Trump seems to be losing its “voice of reason” and making it seemingly inevitable that China and Russia will fill the void in global leadership and lend a greater voice in revising the existing international order; all the more reason that the world now needs a competent United States as a counterweight. The US needs to show the world that it intends to stay invested in maintaining global security. It must speak the vocabularies of democracy, peaceful co-existence, a rules-based world, and the overall commitment to maintaining the global public good. It is going to be a lot harder under Trump. Trump’s America is not winning any friends. Right now, President Trump is chipping away at US moral authority, and it will be at a huge cost to global security.
*Abdillah Noh is an Associate Professor with the School of Politics and International Relations, University of Nottingham, Malaysia. He works in the space of political economy, public policy and international politics.
**This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
