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Majdi Fathi/TPS-IL on 5 February, 2025
Egypt, Jordan Scramble Against Trump’s Gaza Proposal
Jerusalem, 5 February, 2025 (TPS-IL) -- President Donald Trump’s comments about relocating Gazans to other countries sent shockwaves across the Arab world, particularly in Egypt and Jordan. Arab media described the President’s remarks as a “bombshell.”
Egypt and Jordan, two of the most prominent Arab nations with existing peace treaties with Israel, find themselves in a particularly precarious position. The Press Service of Israel has learned that Egypt’s Foreign Ministry instructed diplomats to highlight the perceived threat to Egypt’s national security while avoiding direct confrontation with Washington.
However, the Egyptian media and public figures have not held back. Some pundits have gone so far as to call for a review of Egypt’s peace treaty with Israel, citing national security concerns and the perceived undermining of Egyptian influence.
At the same time, grassroots movements in Egypt are mobilizing. Student groups, trade unions, and youth activists are organizing protests in support of Palestinian statehood and reinforcing calls for more pressure on both the US and Israel.
Dozens of commentators and military personnel, including those who fought in the Yom Kippur War, have already been called in to protect President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who is due to visit Washington in mid-February. “The very fact that commentators have to come out and defend al-Sisi proves how sensitive his situation is in the face of the challenge that Trump has posed to him,” a veteran Egyptian journalist told TPS-IL.
Jordan, meanwhile, finds itself in an even more precarious position.
It is estimated that between 55-75 percent of the population is Palestinian or of Palestinian descent and the monarchy is sensitive to developments that challenge national identity. The fear in Amman is that Trump’s proposals could eventually lead to a scenario in which Jordan is pressured to absorb large numbers of displaced Palestinians. The idea of Jordan as an “alternative homeland” for Palestinians is politically taboo.
Adding to the pressure, the Islamic Action Front, which is affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, is the largest political party in Jordan’s parliament. The Front openly supports Hamas and is vocal in its criticism of Jordan’s peace treaty with Israel.
“It does appear that President Trump is committed to the idea. He has the ability, if he wants to, to twist Jordan’s arm, to twist Egypt’s arm. Jordan is so dependent economically on the US and free trade with the US – which is more beneficial to Jordan than the US – that if President Trump really wants to make this happen, the US has the power to make it happen,” Asher Fredman, executive director of the Misgav Institute in Jerusalem told TPS-IL.
Asked if the idea is realistic, Fredman said that despite the public Palestinian rhetoric, many Gazans do want to leave Gaza. He cited a Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research survey published on June 26, 2024, which found that 44% of Gazans ages 18-29 would emigrate if given the chance. The reported noted, “Among those [of all ages] who have considered emigrating, 30% say they would do so even if they did not have the required papers.”
A 2022 report, written by the Hamas-affiliated Council on International Relations and seen by TPS-IL, said 12% of the Strip’s population fled since 2007, when the terror group violently seized control of Gaza.
The ongoing first phase of the ceasefire is supposed to see a total of 33 Israeli hostages freed over six weeks in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian terrorists imprisoned in Israel. The exact number will depend on how many are alive. So far, 18 hostages — 13 Israelis and five Thais — have been released.
The fate of the remaining 65 hostages will be determined by negotiations during the ceasefire’s second phase. Critics say the phased approach condemns hostages not freed in the beginning to open-ended captivity and undermines Israel’s war gains.
At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 79 remaining hostages, 35 have been declared dead.
