Double Standards-Based Ethnic Cleansing Has Been the Policy

US President Donald Trump's Middle East policies have been unwavering support for Israel, aligning closely with Zionist strategies in the region. His administration's approach mirrored Israel's military and geopolitical objectives, including the targeted elimination of resistance leaders in conflicts spanning Yemen, Iran, and Palestine.

The parallels between the Ukrainian nationalist movement and Zionist expansion in occupied Palestine further highlight the contradictions in US foreign policy. While Western nations champion Ukraine's right to resist occupation, they simultaneously uphold Israel's actions against Palestinians, exposing a stark double standard. Trump's strategic vision for the Middle East—whether through economic sanctions on Iran or direct military intervention—has only strengthened Israel's regional dominance, potentially paving the way for a "Greater Israel" scenario.

The credibility of US diplomacy is called into question. With mounting U.S.-Israeli military exercises and the looming possibility of escalation with Iran, Trump's legacy in the region remains a key factor in shaping future conflicts, particularly in Gaza and beyond.

The ceasefire in Gaza offered only a temporary halt to Israel's aggression as Netanyahu's government continued its brutal campaign in the occupied West Bank, mirroring Gaza's devastation. Trump's role in brokering the ceasefire was self-serving, meant to enhance his image rather than bring genuine peace. At the same time, his administration harbored sinister plans to ethnically cleanse Gaza, as revealed by his comments and those of his allies, Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff. Their vision reduces Palestinians to an obstacle in a lucrative real estate scheme, advocating for forced expulsions under the guise of "cleaning up" Gaza. The so-called international community, having ignored Palestinian suffering for decades, cannot be trusted to prevent such horrors, including the erasure of Palestinian identity and sovereignty.

The forced expulsion of Palestinians, openly endorsed by Trump and his allies, constitutes a war crime under the Geneva Convention and a crime against humanity under the Rome Statute. Beyond his lack of moral character, Trump's actions signal a broader campaign of destabilization—undermining NATO, abandoning Ukraine, and targeting the International Criminal Court. Just one month into his presidency, he is aligning the US with policies that threaten the very existence of the Palestinian people. Meanwhile, the world is divided into a spectrum, on one end of which are those who call out these crimes as they are, and on the other end are those who remain complicit in silence or support.

Israel's military actions in Gaza, supported by successive US administrations, have aimed at either genocide or ethnic cleansing, with Biden enabling mass destruction through bomb supplies and Trump openly endorsing Gaza's depopulation. Despite a so-called ceasefire, Israel has repeatedly violated its terms while continuing to bomb Gaza and block humanitarian aid. Trump's rhetoric has made explicit what past US administrations pursued more covertly: pressuring Egypt to accept displaced Palestinians, effectively erasing Gaza's population for geopolitical and economic gain. The media and Western leaders, complicit in these actions, use euphemisms to mask the reality of ethnic cleansing, while Egypt resists external pressure to open its borders.

Since 2007, US administrations—whether Democrat or Republican—have consistently supported Israel's policy of blockading and devastating Gaza, a continuation of Zionism's long-standing goal of depopulating Palestinian land. This strategy, whether through explicit ethnic cleansing or gradual destruction, has been tacitly accepted by Western leaders who justify it under security pretexts while ensuring Israel receives military and diplomatic backing. The current escalation is not an aberration but the culmination of policies designed to make Gaza uninhabitable, a plan rooted in Zionist ideology since its inception. Trump's blunt rhetoric merely exposes what previous administrations pursued more discreetly: forcing Palestinians out, mainly by pressuring Egypt to absorb refugees, while media and political narratives obscure the reality of systematic ethnic cleansing.

The unyielding suffering in Gaza and the world's passive response underscores a profound failure of justice, humanity, and global accountability. While hollow slogans and empty condemnations echo, offering no solace or aid to Palestinians, Israeli aggression—backed by decades of complicit U.S. administrations—relentlessly devastates Gaza and dehumanizes its people. Efforts like "We Are Not Numbers" highlight individual stories of loss, resilience, and dreams, but global indifference persists, reducing Palestinians to mere statistics. The systematic oppression, including blockades, displacement, and ethnic cleansing masked as security measures, exposes the complicity of Western powers. From the explicit rhetoric of depopulation to the tacit acceptance of destruction, international inaction perpetuates this tragedy. This collapse of protections and justice raises stark questions about the fear, double standards, and political interests enabling Israel's impunity and erasing Palestinian humanity.

Simon Mohsin: Political and International Affairs Analyst.