For two weeks, America’s allies kept their reactions in check. Since his return to the White House, former President Donald Trump had been met with measured diplomacy warm words in public, restrained concern in private from leaders across Europe and the Anglosphere.
That uneasy accord shattered this week when Trump floated one of his most audacious foreign policy ideas yet: placing Gaza under American control, relocating its Palestinian population, and redeveloping the strip into the Riviera of the Middle East.
The proposal, which seemed to abandon decades of Western diplomacy supporting a two-state solution, sent shockwaves through the international community. U.S. allies in the Middle East reacted with alarm, fearing the impact on ongoing ceasefire and hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas. Palestinian leaders dismissed the idea outright, expressing outrage at the notion of forced displacement.
In Europe, the backlash was swift and unequivocal. While the U.S. traditionally enjoys a close, if sometimes uneasy, alliance with European nations, leaders across the continent rejected the proposal outright.
Trump has once again placed America’s allies in a difficult position. Openly criticizing a sitting U.S. president is something most world leaders avoid—especially so early in a new term. But silence was not an option.
My read is that they’re all gobsmacked. They didn’t see it coming, said Jon B. Alterman, a former U.S. State Department official and director of the Middle East Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
This latest controversy highlights a broader challenge for America’s partners: how to navigate an increasingly unpredictable Washington. Trump’s first term saw the U.S. repeatedly upend diplomatic norms, withdrawing from international agreements and taking unilateral action that often blindsided allies. The Gaza proposal, whether a serious plan or an offhand remark, could accelerate that pattern.
This administration has not only an instinct but an appetite to be disruptive, Alterman noted. He suggested Trump’s actions may force Europe into deeper soul-searching over its relationship with a U.S. that appears less committed to multilateralism.
The international response to Trump’s suggestion was swift and forceful. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres condemned the idea, warning against potential ethnic cleansing. France denounced it as a serious violation of international law, referencing the Geneva Convention’s prohibition on forced population transfers. Spain’s foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, reaffirmed that land is Gaza.
Even Germany, traditionally cautious in its criticism of the U.S., was direct. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier called the idea unacceptable, while Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock warned it would only lead to new suffering and new hatred.
The backlash, however, was not universal. In Western Europe, Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders broke ranks to endorse the plan, posting on social media: Let Palestinians move to Jordan. Gaza problem solved!
While America’s allies were shocked by Trump’s proposal, few were truly surprised. Many had braced for a return to his unpredictable leadership style, and the strong responses to the Gaza plan may offer a glimpse of how they intend to handle Trump 2.0.
In Germany, the reaction is as expected: they’re very dismissive, said Eric Nelson, a former U.S. ambassador under Trump. He noted that Germany’s upcoming federal election makes condemning Trump politically convenient, as he remains deeply unpopular in the country.
For Trump’s inner circle, this resistance is neither unexpected nor unwelcome. They’re not going to expect Western capitals to break out in a chorus of ‘me too, sign us up!’ said Nathan Sales, Trump’s former counterterrorism coordinator. We don’t have to agree with our friends 100% of the time.
Whether Trump’s Gaza proposal was a serious policy initiative or another instance of disruptive rhetoric, it has already deepened the fractures between the U.S. and its allies. And for world leaders trying to navigate his presidency, this may be only the first of many diplomatic storms ahead.
By : Jide Adesina
