Mohsen Abu Ramadan is a prominent activist on the Palestinian left who lives in Gaza. This is an edited translation of an article that originally appeared in Al Ittihad the Arabic language newspaper of the Israeli Communist Party. As with all op-eds published by People’s World, the views represented here are those of the author.
Some commentators are trying to reassure themselves and the rest of us that Trump’s victory in the U.S. presidential election won’t necessarily be so bad for Palestine and the Middle East. Such arguments, however, are based more on subjective desires than objective analysis.
Among the things that the optimists base their case on are Trump’s statements that he “wants to stop the war” on Lebanon and Gaza and that he met with the Arab community in some U.S. states and promised them that. He is “a man of deals and financial calculations,” we are told, and he “does not want the United States to spend billions on wars” and on supporting a rich country like the occupying state, Israel. His relationship with Benjamin Netanyahu, some claim, was bad because the latter congratulated Joe Biden when he won in 2020.
These “analyses” run contrary to reality, however, as Trump is known for his support for the fascist right in Israel, and it was he who put forward the “Deal of the Century” and proposed an “economic peace” by forming a fund to liquidate the refugee issue – essentially paying off Palestinians to leave.
He is one of the most enthusiastic supporters of destroying UNRWA, and he pushed the so-called “Abraham Accords” which sought diplomatic normalization between Israel and some Arab states at the expense of the Palestinian people and their established legitimate rights. He is the one who uses the language of force, threats, and blackmail against countries in the region and is a strong supporter of besieging and striking Iran.
America’s relationship with the occupying state is not based on the strategic dimension and common interests alone, which makes it easy to explain U.S. support for Israel, regardless of the nature of the ruling party in the U.S. administration, whether Democrats or Republicans.
The matter goes beyond Trump, who represents the populist right with its racist and expansionist tendencies, which were reflected in his slogans against immigrants as well as in focusing on the notion of a strong America for Americans only. Economically his platform reflects a retreat from the theories of neoliberalism and open markets and free trade, no doubt, but it also represents a regression from the concepts of human rights and the right of peoples to self-determination.
There is a cultural dimension to the relationship between Trump’s concepts and the Zionist project of expansion and occupation, as Trump believes that the experience of Israel is similar to that of the white European colonists of the American continent in an earlier time.
The danger of Trump’s return to the White House lies in its coincidence with the rise and control of the fascist right in Israel. The latter now envisions the possibility of fully carrying out its genocide and ethnic cleansing, annexing large areas of the West Bank, confining the Palestinian people to enclaves and Bantustans, and adopting a policy of giving economic crumbs to the Palestinian people instead of the right of self-determination.
We cannot rule out the possibility that Trump will give full approval to Israel to implement the “generals’ plan” for completely emptying the northern Gaza Strip of its people. This final displacement scheme still constitutes the compass for Netanyahu and his fascist government, which hopes to see occupation and Israeli settlement of the Gaza Strip or parts of it as a long-term goal.
Trump has declared his support for Israel and its expansion when he stated that “its area is small,” indicating that he supports its military and expansionist actions towards the occupied Palestinian territories, as well as towards Lebanon. This would strengthen the ambition of the occupying state to establish its borders from the Litani River to Rafah initially before reaching to expand its area to an even greater extent later to realize the vision of “a new Middle East,” in which the occupying state has the final say over all affairs.
We need to face the truth and not hide behind a few vague phrases about peace that Trump might have made during the election campaign. Politics is based on the balance of power. Trump will only work to “stop the war” if he finds that the interests of the United States are harmed by its continuation.
This depends on many factors, including the steadfastness of the resistance and the infliction of losses on the occupying state, and on the Arab factor and its cohesion and awareness of the existence of a multipolar world that’s in the process of crystallizing. Whether the other countries of the region recognize the value of strengthening their relationship with Russia, China, and the nations’ BRICS coalition will be key. Will they use the language of barter and mutual interests, including normalization, in exchange for the establishment of a Palestinian state?
It also depends on the Palestinian factor, which is in dire need of unity, arranging its internal house, and following strategies that enable it to withstand this critical stage to thwart Trump and Netanyahu’s plans. This requires a strengthening of the Palestinian representative structure, activating the democratic and participatory factor in it, and using the tools of struggle capable of achieving the goal – including reaffirming the necessity of recognizing the State of Palestine.
We have to block the road to the racist occupation attempts at annexation, division, and fragmentation. Trump is no ally in that process.
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