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Donald Trump’s Golf Course Wrecked by Pro-Palestine Protesters | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted in this article by by Brendan Cole Senior News Reporter for NEWSWEEK.
Avi Melamed, a Middle East analyst, told Newsweek that the plan—which proposes an interim, Palestinian-run administrative authority in Gaza; includes the training of Palestinian security forces; and calls for the involvement of international peacekeeping—sidesteps the issue of Hamas’ disarmament.
Melamed, a former Israeli security official, said the omission was not accidental and that Arab leaders understood that agreements with Hamas had consistently been broken.
Without an Arab-backed demand for Hamas to disarm, stability for Gaza and its return to the control of the Palestinian Authority were “fundamentally unachievable,” he added.
Avi Melamed, a Middle East analyst, said: “[The plan] omits any commitment from the wealthy Gulf states, who are reluctant to fund a rebuilding of Gaza that will be undone by the next round of violence between Israel and Hamas.”
Pro-Palestinian protesters have vandalized parts of U.S. President Donald Trump‘s golf course in Scotland in response to his proposal for the reconstruction of Gaza.
Red paint was daubed on the floor and buildings of the Trump Turnberry golf course in South Ayrshire, and “Gaza is not for sale” was painted across the lawn along with insults directed at the president.
When contacted for comment, Palestine Action told Newsweek it had carried out the action in response to the Trump administration’s plans “to destroy, ethnically cleanse, and ‘take over’ the Palestinian Gaza Strip.”
Why It Matters
A war between Israel and Hamas—which began on October 7, 2023, with the militant group’s attack on southern Israel—has reduced most of Gaza to rubble.
In January, a ceasefire came into effect, and discussions are underway over the future of the area.
Trump sparked outrage last month when he suggested an ambitious reconstruction project that would transform Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East.”
His plan involves relocating 2 million Palestinians in Gaza to neighboring Arab nations while construction firms clear the bombed-out buildings. Arab state leaders have met in Cairo to discuss Gaza’s future, and the vandalism of Trump’s golf course shows the extent of the anger felt toward his proposal.
What To Know
In 2014, Trump bought the Turnberry course, where a round of golf can cost up to £1,000 ($1,290).
Palestine Action activists entered the 800-acre luxury resort and painted “Gaza is not for sale” in 9-foot-high letters. The group also spray-painted the clubhouse and dug up the greens.
A spokesperson for the group said the action was in response to Trump’s plans to forcibly displace Gaza’s population and “clean out the whole thing.”
The U.K. has seen growing agitation over the fate of Gaza. On Saturday, a man with a Palestinian flag sparked an emergency response when he climbed up the Elizabeth Tower, which holds the Big Ben bell, in the Houses of Parliament in London.
The Metropolitan Police has also blocked an upcoming pro-Palestine march from gathering near a synagogue in central London.
Egypt’s Plan for Gaza
On Saturday, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. supported an Arab-backed plan for the reconstruction of Gaza that would cost $53 billion and avoid displacing Palestinians, Reuters reported.
Egypt drew up the plan, which Arab leaders adopted on Tuesday. However, Israel and Trump have rejected it.
Avi Melamed, a Middle East analyst, told Newsweek that the plan—which proposes an interim, Palestinian-run administrative authority in Gaza; includes the training of Palestinian security forces; and calls for the involvement of international peacekeeping—sidesteps the issue of Hamas’ disarmament.
Melamed, a former Israeli security official, said the omission was not accidental and that Arab leaders understood that agreements with Hamas had consistently been broken.
Without an Arab-backed demand for Hamas to disarm, stability for Gaza and its return to the control of the Palestinian Authority were “fundamentally unachievable,” he added.
What People Are Saying
Palestine Action said in a statement: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes. To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.”
Speaking of the Arab-backed plan to rebuild, the foreign ministers of France, Germany, Italy and the U.K. said in a joint statement: “The plan shows a realistic path to the reconstruction of Gaza and promises—if implemented—swift and sustainable improvement of the catastrophic living conditions for the Palestinians living in Gaza.”
Avi Melamed, a Middle East analyst, said: “[The plan] omits any commitment from the wealthy Gulf states, who are reluctant to fund a rebuilding of Gaza that will be undone by the next round of violence between Israel and Hamas.”
What Happens Next
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has described Trump’s plan for Gaza as “visionary,” has ruled out any future role in the area for either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
An international conference is scheduled for next month to raise the money necessary for the rebuilding project.
Donald Trump’s Golf Course Wrecked by Pro-Palestine Protesters | Avi Melamed’s insights quoted in this article by by Brendan Cole Senior News Reporter for NEWSWEEK.
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