This evening, President Trump stated that he might consider cutting off aid to Jordan and Egypt if they refuse to accept Palestinians as part of a plan where the U.S. would take control of the Gaza Strip and develop it.
“Would you withhold aid to these countries if they don’t agree to take in the Palestinians?” Trump was asked during a brief exchange with reporters in the Oval Office.
“Yeah, maybe. Sure, why not?” Trump replied. “If they don’t agree, I would conceivably withhold aid. Yeah.”
Jordan and Egypt are major recipients of U.S. military assistance.
In 2022, the U.S. and Jordan signed a memorandum that committed the U.S. to provide over $1 billion annually in foreign aid. Meanwhile, Egypt received about $1.5 billion in U.S. foreign assistance during the 2023 fiscal year.
Last month, Trump urged Egypt and Jordan to take in more Palestinians from Gaza, a region that has been severely damaged by the ongoing war between Hamas and Israel, which began in October 2023 after Hamas launched an attack on Israel.
Since the conflict erupted, Trump has proposed that the U.S. take control of the Gaza Strip and transform it into an area for economic development. Although the White House has stated that Palestinians would temporarily be relocated while Gaza is rebuilt, Trump has repeatedly implied that they may not wish to return to Gaza, and hinted that they could possibly be barred from doing so.
“They would love to leave Gaza if they could find a place to be,” Trump said on Monday.
However, Arab leaders in the region have rejected the idea of displacing Palestinians or relocating them to neighboring countries. Both Egypt and Jordan, which have peace treaties with Israel, are opposed to absorbing Palestinians. They argue that such a move would pose a security threat, destabilize the region, and potentially provoke widespread opposition.
Jordan already hosts approximately 3 million Palestinians, many of whom have been displaced by earlier conflicts.
Trump is set to meet with King Abdullah II of Jordan in Washington on Tuesday, and the future of Gaza is expected to be a major topic of discussion. King Abdullah II has already voiced opposition to accepting Palestinians from Gaza, a stance shared by Egypt.
In addition, Egypt announced on Sunday that it will host a summit of Arab nations on February 27 to discuss the future of Palestinians, according to The Associated Press.
{Matzav.com}
