He has repeatedly called for America to ‘take over’ Gaza in the interest of the Israeli government and has said that under his plans, Palestinians will have no right to return to their homeland, a move seized upon by ultra-nationalist lawmakers in the Israeli government, who are now drafting plans to move Palestinians permanently out of the Gaza Strip.
Last week, Trump shared an AI video of what he wants to turn Gaza into in his grand plan, and it makes for bleak viewing. The video shows ‘Trump Gaza,’ where everything is decorated in an excess of gold, typical of Trump Tower in New York or one of his many failed resorts. It features Trump and Netanyahu sunbathing and sipping cocktails together, while Elon Musk eats traditional Egyptian food and wide shots of skyscrapers and beach resorts, reminiscent of Dubai.
Everything in the video is emblazoned with Trump branding; kids carry balloons of him, hotels sell golden merchandise of him as a statue, and bars sell drinks out of a Trump-shaped bottle. It’s quite sickening to watch, and is a clear indication of how Trump views Gaza: an opportunity to build a land where he is praised as the ultimate creator. After the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government, he just wishes for a playground to play out his sycophantic fantasies.
After the genocide of the Palestinian people by the Israeli government, he just wishes for a playground to play out his sycophantic fantasies.
The original creator has since responded and said that the video was always intended to be a satire to make fun of how the president talks about the Gaza Strip. But to Trump, satire is meaningless; it doesn’t matter how dystopian or cruel the vision is, so long as he gets to be king of it. With hostage deals in Gaza now going awry and Israel cutting off power to thousands in Palestine as a result, it's looking like Trump has 4 years to get what he wants; it's now unclear whether there will even be a Gaza at the end of his presidency, and if there is, what that Gaza could look like.