Poll Finds Strong Majority of US Voters Reject Trump Plan to “Own” Gaza

A strong majority of American voters oppose President Donald Trump’s plan for the U.S. to forcibly expel Palestinians from Gaza and “take over” the Strip, new polling finds as human rights experts warn that the proposal involves numerous war crimes and threatens the very structure of international order.

Data for Progress found in a survey released Wednesday that 64 percent of U.S. voters say they oppose the proposal, while only 27 percent support it, a margin of 37 points. Nearly half of the survey’s 1,201 respondents — 47 percent — said they “strongly” oppose the idea.

Opposition was strongest among Democrats, with 85 percent opposing the proposal, including 78 percent “strongly” in opposition. A majority of independents, 63 percent, were also opposed. Republicans favor the proposal by a small margin, with 46 percent supporting and 43 percent opposing.

The plan — to forcibly expel Palestinian survivors of an Israeli and U.S.-sponsored genocide and further erase Palestinian identity and culture — is more unpopular when U.S. troops are involved.

According to the poll, nearly 7 in 10 voters say they oppose sending U.S. troops to the Middle East in order to take over Gaza, with 25 percent in favor.

Trump has claimed that no U.S. troops will be needed to carry out his plan, and that Israel would simply hand Gaza over to the U.S.

However, any ethnic cleansing project requires military force, especially with Palestinians vowing to resist expulsion. Further, the U.S. military is already involved in Israel’s assault on Gaza, with the U.S. providing intelligence and coordinating attacks with Israeli troops.

Trump has proposed a U.S. takeover of numerous places, seemingly trying to open new frontiers in American imperialism without concern, as is typical for imperialists, over whether these plans are feasible or humane.

He has proposed taking over the Panama Canal, Greenland, Canada and Gaza so far, suggesting that the latter could be developed into a “Riviera.” None of these plans are supported by their respective governments.

A plurality or majority of voters oppose a U.S. takeover of all of these places, the polling found. Even so, Trump’s plan for Gaza is the least popular of the four.

In recent days, various Trump administration officials have suggested that he means that Palestinians would only be expelled temporarily. But in an interview with Fox News this weekend, Trump clarified that Palestinians would not have the right of return under his plan and that they would be permanently expelled — which would likely violate international law and could amount to crimes against humanity.

Palestinians and human rights experts have vigorously condemned the plan. Palestinians say that no ethnic cleansing plan — Israeli, American, or otherwise — would get them to leave their homes. Meanwhile, a group of dozens of UN experts said in a statement this week that the plan would not just enact “blatant violations” of international law, but would also “shatter the most fundamental rules of the international order” and “return the world to the dark days of colonial conquest.”

Democratic lawmakers have introduced legislation to oppose the plan. Last week, Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Virginia) introduced a resolution that expresses firm opposition to any use of U.S. military resources to enact the proposal. The resolution has 10 cosponsors.

“Gaza is home to Palestinians,” said Kaine. “The U.S. cannot take it away and must not support displacing Palestinians from their land.”