(RNS) — American Jewish institutions offered a mostly muted response to President Donald Trump’s startling proposal to take over the Gaza Strip and drive its Palestinian residents to neighboring countries.
Trump’s announcement that the United States could take a “long-term ownership position” over the strip, made during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday (Feb. 4), was immediately opposed by Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip, and by Palestinians and the Palestinian Authority. The leaders of Egypt and Jordan had already rejected the idea of taking in Palestinians. (On Wednesday, Trump’s spokespeople softened key elements of his proposal to “take over” Gaza. They said Trump had not committed to using U.S. troops and that any relocation of Palestinians would be temporary.)
But American Jewish institutions, which had been warming to Trump in recent months, were mostly caught without a response.
The American Jewish Committee, a staunch supporter of Israel, issued a statement saying the president’s plan raises “a wealth of questions.”
“AJC, long committed to advancing Israel’s integration in a peaceful and prosperous Middle East and to a pragmatic resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, equally has concerns about the impact of the President’s Gaza proposal on regional cooperation and stability.”
The Anti-Defamation League, the self-described antisemitism watchdog, which in recent days defended Elon Musk’s Nazi-like salute at an Inauguration Day event, has so far remained mum.
The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations had not issued any statement as of midafternoon Wednesday.
President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speak during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Israeli politicians on the right celebrated Trump’s remarks. Bezalel Smotrich, the hard-line finance minister, called the president’s proposal “the true answer to Oct. 7,” a reference to the Hamas-led attack on Israel in 2023 that ignited the war in Gaza.
But the hesitancy of establishment Jewish American institutions to criticize the plan was in keeping with their unstinting support for Israel and its war in Gaza and signaled, at least for now, an unwillingness to inveigh against Trump.
“There was nothing that Israel could do where the organized Jewish community in the United States would say: enough,” said journalist Peter Beinart in response to the American Jewish community’s inability to criticize Israel’s actions. “Israel would act, and then there would be a post hoc justification of explaining why actually this was totally legitimate and in fact quite praiseworthy, or at the very least necessary.”
Liberal Jewish organizations, however, condemned Trump’s plan.
“What do you even say about this absurd & dangerous press conference?” said Amy Spitalnick, CEO of the liberal nonpartisan Jewish Council for Public Affairs, on social media. “Unfathomably horrific and cruel for Palestinians. So incredibly foolish re: US interests. And fundamentally at odds with Israel’s own future — because there is no Jewish, democratic Israel without Palestinian self-determination.”
J Street, the liberal American Jewish organization dedicated to a two-state solution, was also quick to issue a statement of outrage.
“There aren’t adequate words to express our disgust at the idea of forcible displacement of Palestinians with the assistance of the United States of America,” said J Street President Jeremy Ben Ami.
Muslim Americans also blasted the idea.
Nihad Awad, national executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, rejected Trump’s proposal, saying in a statement, “Gaza belongs to the Palestinian people, not the United States, and President Trump’s call to displace Palestinians from their land either temporarily or permanently is an absolute non-starter. ”
Abed Ayoub, executive director at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, said Trump’s proposal was “terrifying.”
“It would go against all norms and international law. This isn’t something that would be permitted to happen,” Ayoub told Al Jazeera.
Netanyahu said Trump’s plan could “change history” and would be “worthwhile” to pursue.
