Ethnic cleansing as a “business plan”
These plans are not only an open breach of international law (which, by the way, has never been a problem for imperialism), but an attempt to transform the Zionist policy of ethnic cleansing into a « business plan ». Gaza is to be « completed », says Netanyahu – and that means nothing less than: Gaza is to disappear, its population is to be uprooted and the land is to be handed over to the capital interests of the imperialist bourgeoisie and the Zionist settler movement.
Trump spoke like what he really is: a capitalist real estate developer who pushes through his projects without any consideration for those affected. Hence the completely absurd nonsense about wanting to turn Gaza into a « second Riviera ». Equally nebulous, the US would work with unspecified « partners » on this plan.
Let’s leave aside how realistic this plan is. Contrary to the alarmism of liberal circles, the USA has not become fascist in one fell swoop in the 20 days under Trump. Austerity measures in public information that were announced with great fanfare were stopped by relatively subordinate judges; the purge in public administration that began under Elon Musk’s leadership is by no means going smoothly: although the union bureaucracies in the affected areas are extremely cautious in taking legal action, discontent among employees is clearly growing. Musk’s call for officials in the financial administration to procure mattresses, washing machines and tumble dryers so that they can sleep in the government buildings, as his goal is a « work ethic » like that of his bone-mills Tesla and X, met with massive rejection. The loudly proclaimed protectionist tariff policy towards Mexico and Canada had to be significantly scaled back by the Trump administration – on the one hand because of the concessions made by the bourgeois governments of Mexico and Canada, but on the other hand also because of the expected negative effects on the US population, i.e. Trump’s voter base.
The end of the war in Ukraine “within 24 hours” is now at least six months away. And it remains to be seen to what extent the MAGA base will go along with Trump, who has marketed himself as an isolationist opponent of the failed US intervention policy in Iraq and Afghanistan, now suddenly wants to send troops to the explosive Middle East.
From the beginning, the Zionist project was a settler colonization at the expense of the native population. The Nakba of 1948, when over 700,000 Palestinians were expelled from their towns and villages, was only the beginning of a decades-long policy of expulsion. Now, almost 80 years later, the last remnants of Palestinian territory are once again ready for the « final solution »: first Israel turned Gaza into a huge open-air prison, then it was bombed to the ground – and now that the population is starving and massacred, the « solution » that Trump and Netanyahu have in mind is following: complete occupation by US imperialism and mass expulsion of the Palestinians.
But where should they go? Egypt and Jordan have already signaled that they will not serve as a « dumping ground » for Israel’s colonial war crimes. Mass expulsion would be a flagrant violation of the Geneva Conventions – but since when does imperialism care about human rights?
Even the Saudi Arabian ruling family, otherwise a good accomplice in the plans of US imperialism in the region, is resisting: the history of the impact of mass expulsions of Palestinians to Jordan and Lebanon has made the rich Gulf states fear for their fragile stability.
Trump’s plans exacerbate the conflict with European imperialisms
It is no coincidence that this plan is being put on the table at this very moment. Trump wants to serve the ultra-reactionary pro-Zionist base in the USA. Netanyahu, on the other hand, is still under pressure domestically in Israel. He needs a foreign policy coup to stay in power.
For US imperialism, the occupation of Gaza offers a strategic opportunity to intervene even more deeply in the Middle East. While Washington claims to promote « democracy » and « stability » in the region, in reality it is about geopolitical control and securing the Zionist stronghold as the spearhead of imperialist interests.
Trump’s declaration of intent to “take over” Gaza is also a further attack against competing European imperialisms.
One of the most obvious economic interests concerns the region’s oil and gas reserves. European energy companies such as TotalEnergies (France), BP (Great Britain) and ENI (Italy) have been involved in production and exploration projects for decades. Control over energy sources and routes is crucial to securing Europe’s energy supply and realizing economic benefits.
EU countries are among the largest arms exporters to the Middle East—France, Great Britain and Germany are at the forefront here. German companies such as Rheinmetall and French companies such as Dassault benefit considerably from the political tensions and wars in the region. This clearly shows how economic interests are intertwined with geopolitical strategies.
The Middle East is not only relevant as an energy source, but also as a market and a hub for international trade. The region connects Europe, Asia and Africa. European companies are heavily involved in infrastructure projects such as ports, airports and transport corridors. One example is the « Suez Canal » as a neuralgic point for European trade with Asia.
More and more European companies are investing in the Gulf States’ digital infrastructure, from smart city projects to telecommunications. This is a growing sector that is also linked to the region’s energy transformation (e.g. renewable energy projects).
European banks and investment firms have a strong presence in the region’s financial centers, such as Dubai and Qatar. These connections serve not only to accumulate capital, but also to exert political influence—the capitalist centers of the West thus secure their influence on the economic policies of the Gulf states.
The European capitals are engaging in a double way in the Middle East – firstly through the extraction of raw materials and secondly through exports, loans and arms deliveries. In this way, the EU secures access to cheap means of production (raw materials) and sales markets, which is crucial in the context of intensified global competition (especially with China and the USA).
If the US were to send troops to an ethnically cleansed Gaza, it would also be a direct declaration of war on the European imperialists and could have far-reaching consequences.
A criminal plan
This plan is a crime – but it is also a declaration of bankruptcy. Because it shows that neither Israel nor the USA have a long-term strategy for how to « solve » the Palestinian question other than through naked violence and ethnic cleansing.
The Trump-Netanyahu agenda is a call to barbarism. Our response must be militant international solidarity!
As internationalist communists we say:
- No trust in international institutions such as the UN, the International Criminal Court or the informal “community of nations” (whatever that is). They are instruments of imperialism and have watched Palestine destroyed for decades and will do nothing to stop a US occupation.
- Unconditional solidarity with the Palestinian people! The workers of the Arab world and in Israel, but also in the imperialist centers, must unite against this attack. The struggle to prevent the ethnic cleansing of Gaza must be answered by an international mass mobilization.
- The struggle against the occupation of Palestine is part of the global struggle against capitalism. The only lasting solution lies not in diplomatic maneuvers or a « two-state solution, » but in the destruction of the Zionist apartheid state and the imperialist system that supports it.
- The goal must be a Socialist Federation of the Middle East in which Jews and Arabs live together as equals – without colonialism, without racism and without capitalism.
To achieve this goal, the exploited proletariat in the Middle Eastern states – regardless of ethnicity – needs a revolutionary workers’ party capable of throwing off the Zionist yoke, the oppression of the local bourgeoisies and imperialism. This struggle can be waged victoriously as part of the Revolutionary Workers’ International, which must be built worldwide.