Ben Gvir cheers Trump’s backing for permanent resettling of Gazans

Jacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief

(L) National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset on July 24, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and (R) Republican Presidential nominee former US president Donald Trump at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (BILL PUGLIANO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)
(L) National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir at the Knesset on July 24, 2024 (Yonatan Sindel/Flash90) and (R) Republican Presidential nominee former US president Donald Trump at the Van Andel Arena on July 20, 2024 in Grand Rapids, Michigan (BILL PUGLIANO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

“Donald, this looks like the beginning of a beautiful friendship,” tweets former national security minister Itamar Ben Gvir after US President Donald Trump talks at length about his desire for Palestinians to be entirely and permanently relocated out of Gaza during his Oval Office meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Ben Gvir has long campaigned in favor of “voluntary migration” for Palestinians from Gaza, which critics have branded as a euphemism for ethnic cleansing.

Notably, though, Trump came out against the idea of Israel establishing settlements in Gaza, which is one of the main reasons why Ben Gvir has pushed for Palestinians there to leave.

Earlier this evening, Ben Gvir’s party presented a Knesset bill that would encourage Gazans to leave the Strip by introducing a governmental financial aid package to those seeking to emigrate, provided they have no track record of terror activity.

Most Popular