Raoul Wootliff
There was a time in Israeli politics when the idea of population transfer—the mass displacement of Palestinians—was so toxic that it was met with universal condemnation. Even within Israel's fractious and divided political system, there was a line that could not be crossed.
When Rabbi Meir Kahane, the far-right extremist and founder of the Kach party, stood in the Knesset (Israel's parliament) and called for the expulsion of Arabs from Israel, lawmakers from across the political spectrum, including hardline Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, would walk out of the chamber in protest. His rhetoric was so extreme that his party was banned, declared racist even by his own nationalist allies. For decades, transfer remained the third rail of Israeli politics - so extreme, so indefensible, that it could not be spoken of in polite company.
Yesterday, standing beside Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, President Donald Trump gave Kahane's vision a certificate of approval.
At a press conference, Trump suggested the permanent relocation of Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring Arab countries, saying they "would be much happier elsewhere." He spoke casually about "taking over" the devastated enclave, presenting the idea of removing Gaza's entire population as a legitimate policy proposal. Netanyahu, who in past decades might have recoiled at such rhetoric, stood there, smiling.
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