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‘Relocate Israelis to Alaska’ Saudi Official Tells Trump

CrossFireArabia
February 9, 2025

A member of the Saudi Shura Council has criticized US President Donald Trump’s proposal to move Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, suggesting that relocating Israelis to Alaska and Greenland would be a better solution to Middle East stability.

Trump has suggested relocating Palestinians from Gaza on several occasions, claiming that he will carry out an extraordinary redevelopment plan to transform the enclave into “the Riviera of the Middle East.”

Following Trump’s remarks, which were widely condemned by several major Arab, European, and other countries, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ironically suggested on Thursday that Palestinians should establish their state in Saudi Arabia rather than in their own homeland, dismissing any notion of Palestinian sovereignty.

“The Saudis can create a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia; they have a lot of land over there,” he said.

“If he (Trump) truly wants to be a hero of peace and achieve stability and prosperity for the Middle East, he should relocate his beloved Israelis to the state of Alaska and then to Greenland—after annexing it,” Shura Council member Yousef bin Trad Al-Saadoun said in an article for the Saudi newspaper Okaz on Friday.

He urged Palestinians to remain united, as “the worst is yet to come.”

Trump’s proposal was met with wide condemnations from the Palestinians, Arab countries, and many other nations across the world, including Canada, France, Germany, and the UK.

Saadoun also dismissed Netanyahu’s call for establishing a Palestinian state on Saudi territory.

“The Zionists and their allies must realize they will not succeed in dragging the Saudi leadership into media traps and false political pressures,” he said.

The Saudi official further criticized Trump’s decision-making, arguing that poor choices are made by those who “ignore accumulated knowledge and expertise” and refuse to consult specialists.

He also accused Washington of blindly adopting Israel’s methods.

“The official foreign policy of the United States will seek the illegal occupation of sovereign land and the ethnic cleansing of its population—both of which are Israel’s methods and constitute crimes against humanity.”

Riyadh on Sunday strongly condemned Netanyahu’s comments about Palestinian statehood in Saudi Arabia and emphasized the right of the Palestinian people to their land.

The Saudi Shura Council, whose members are appointed by the king, advises on policy and legislation but lacks legislative power, focusing on laws, economic plans, and social policies.

Opinion

A World Without America?

Dr Khairi Janbek
February 4, 2025

By Dr Khairi Janbek

Away from the condom politics which seems to be just an obsession of a Washington administration suffering from erectile dysfunction, on thought it would be intriguing to imagine a world without America, which means deep cultural, economic as well as political implications. It’s a thought experiment which forces one to imagine how the world would look like without the specific influence, history and power dynamics that the USA has shaped.

On the geopolitical and global power level, other nations would have to step in into the void, vying for influence. Europe, China, Russia and India would probably play a central role on global politics, in addition, the Security Council of the UN will start looking very different, Europe would become the dominant force strengthening its collective military and political capabilities.

In terms of culture and society, American has played a central role in shaping global pop culture, Hollywood, music, fashion and hi-tech, indeed other nations would have come in, in Asia South Korea, Japan and India would take a central role in shaping global culture, with Europe asserting itself in the arts and literature.

In technology and innovation, the US has produced Silicon Valley and leading corporations in software, hardware and AI, however without, China and Europe would fill the hitech leadership role which probably would accelerate their breakthroughs.

As for the economy, without America, the world economy would be real different, the US dollar would not be the world reserve currency, with the Euro and the Yuan, being the global standard. Trade dynamics would be rearranged and institutions like the World Bank and the IMF would have other substitutes.

Regarding military and defense, American power is unmatched , without it global security dynamics would shift drastically, NATO might not exist, while regions powers like Russia, China and India, would become more aggressive in asserting their influence.

In terms of the environment and social movements, the US has been at the forefront of global debates on climate change, social Justice and human rights; taking note of course, with mixed results, but without it, certainly others would take the lead, for a start, Europe has been a leader in pushing for climate action , and in social action, countries like Brazil, South Africa, would fill in the gap with most probably leading to different outcomes. But , the USA has been a major donor for global and humanitarian aid, and their contribution would have to be substituted by other coalitions, which one assumes would be limited only to crisis.

Essentially, a world system without America, the international system would be less centered around one dominant great power, as power would be more diffuse with multiple centers of influence and more regional power struggles, but at the end of the day, the purpose for the use of condoms would be much clearer.

Dr Janbek is an opinion writer based in Paris

News

To Piers Morgan: How Can The Killing of Women Children Be Justified as a ‘Moral Right’

CrossFireArabia
February 2, 2025

British broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan said Israel’s killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, including women and children, could be justified as a “moral right.”

In an interview this week with journalist Tucker Carlson on a rooftop in Saudi Arabia’s capital, Morgan discussed several topics, including the Israeli assault in Gaza and whether the U.S. should be funding it.

Carlson condemned Israel’s bombardment of civilians for over a year, which Morgan questioned as he said such bombing ‘wasn’t evil.’

Carlson said: ‘If you’re intentionally killing civilians, you probably shouldn’t beat your chest and brag about it… maybe you can make the case that you had to do it, but you should weep.’

‘Is it evil though?’ Morgan responded, to which Carlson argued: ‘To kill civilians on purpose? I think it is. Kids and children? Yeah.’

Morgan said he could see there being a ‘moral right’ to civilian deaths in wartime, saying: ‘If there is a world war that threatens the entire world, yes.’

When Carlson called his view ‘disgusting’, he walked back and said it could be justified ‘in a pure defensive action’ as the two journalists sparred over the assault.

‘To intentionally kill noncombatants, women and children, I think we can say that’s wrong,’ he concluded.

The two journalists moved onto the issue of whether the US should continue funding Israel’s assault in Gaza, after former President Joe Biden sent at least $17.9 billion in military aid since the start of the Israeli genocide in October 2023.

After Carlson repeated his calls for the US to stop supplying aid to Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, Morgan questioned: ‘Why do you support Israel against Hamas? Why do you support giving them billions of dollars?’

‘I don’t,’ Carlson snapped back.

‘I support Israel in the sense that I really like Israel, I brought my family on vacation there… but (I support Israel) only to the extent that it helps the United States.’

Morgan said this was a hypocritical stance given his criticism of aid to Ukraine, saying his support merely ‘depends on which country’.

‘I don’t see a difference between (Israel’s bombing of Gaza) and what is happening in Ukraine,’ Morgan continued.

‘This is a long way away from America, there is no direct involvement with America or no mainland involvement, and yet you think it’s right that America supports Israel, but you don’t think it’s right that America supports Ukraine.’

Tucker Carlson condemns Ben Shapiro and calls Israel ‘evil’ for intentionally targeting and killing thousands of women and children in the Gaza genocide…

Piers Morgan in a shocking moment actually defends the intentional targeting of women and children and tries to justify it. pic.twitter.com/mUJ56jQ1jr
— Afshin Rattansi (@afshinrattansi) February 1, 2025

Fifteen months of Israeli bombardment have reduced buildings to rubble and ash, leaving large areas of Gaza uninhabitable. More than 47,400 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli assault, with 70 percent of the victims being women and children, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.

Opinion

‘Not Displacement But a Two-State Solution’

CrossFireArabia
January 28, 2025

By Khaled Shaqran

Jordan’s posture on the Palestinian question has always been firm and clear: Jordan is not, and will never be, an alternative homeland for Palestinians.

This position is not merely a political statement but a historical commitment rooted in the principle of justice and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people. Jordan rejects any attempt to liquidate the Palestinian cause or deny the rights of Palestinians under whatsoever pretext.

In reality, Jordan, which has historically served as a safe haven for those fleeing wars and persecution, is already under immense pressure on its resources and infrastructure due to the accumulated influx of refugees from successive waves of migration. It cannot bear the burden of accommodating more refugees or the multifaceted challenges their presence would bring.

Aside from President Trump fund raising through promises, let's see what the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan thinks about this.https://t.co/OWK8jKCn6G
— Stephen Gluck (@ESynth7) January 28, 2025

The Palestinian people cannot abandon their homeland, no matter the pressures or threats they face. For Palestinians, their land is not merely territory but identity, history, and shared destiny. They will continue to hold onto it until their legitimate rights are realized. Palestinians will not relinquish an inch of their land, neither through enticement nor intimidation, and will persist in their struggle to achieve their dream of freedom and justice.

No short-term solutions would resolve the issue and end the long-running conflict, as some believe.

While the United States, as a global power, can propose initiatives and exert political pressure, it can never erase an entire people and their just cause. Despite the systematic killing, repression, destruction, and unprecedented exclusionary practices supported by some influential international powers, the Palestinian people have never stopped and will never stop fighting for their legitimate rights, paramount of which is the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent state of their own.

It is also crucial for the international community to understand that the Palestinian issue is not merely a regional conflict that can be resolved through short-lived settlements. It is a human rights issue tied to the lives of an entire people and their ongoing struggle for freedom and independence. Therefore, any solution that does not rest on the foundation of comprehensive justice will fail and will not bring lasting peace. The only solution to this conflict is a just and comprehensive peace that guarantees the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

The two-state solution is the only viable formula that enjoys international consensus and reflects the will of the region’s peoples for coexistence in peace and security. Palestine, as both land and cause, is not negotiable or to be ever terminated, and Palestinian rights are historical and legitimate, beyond the power of any force to erase or deny.

It is historically inevitable all occupations eventually end, and it is time for the international community to recognize that this conflict cannot be resolved through displacement, killing, or destruction, but by achieving justice for the Palestinian people. Any solution that does not rely on the two-state framework will remain unattainable. The Palestinian cause will persist as a struggle for rights and freedom, and the region will not enjoy security, stability, or peace until the Palestinian people obtain their legitimate rights and establish their independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.

Khaled Shaqran is a columnist in the Jordan Times

News

Israel Kills More Than 15,000 Pupils in Gaza

CrossFireArabia
January 22, 2025

The Ministry of Education in the Gaza Strip announced, Wednesday, the genocide committed by Israel over the course of more than 15 months resulted in the killing and disappearance of more than 15,000 Palestinian school-age children, and the targeting of 95 percent of school and educational buildings.

The ministry said in a statement: “Initial statistics indicate the martyrdom and disappearance of more than 15,000 school-age children, more than 800 education sector workers, and the injury of 50,000 male and female students.”

It added: “The horrific number of martyrs is equivalent to a mass extermination of human elements, students and workers in more than 30 schools, which reflects the extent of the crimes committed against children and educational staff.”

It explained that the genocide resulted in the killing of 1,200 male and female students enrolled in higher education institutions, more than 150 scientists, academics and workers in those institutions, and hundreds were injured and disabled.

The ministry confirmed that 95 percent of school and educational buildings were directly damaged, while 85 percent of them were completely or partially out of service due to their destruction.

It indicated that the Israeli army destroyed more than 140 administrative and academic facilities, including devices, equipment, laboratories, clinics and libraries.

The ministry estimated losses of the education sector at more than $3 billion.

It explained thousands of children were exposed to shocking experiences and unprecedented psychological pressures, which led to the emergence of psychological symptoms and trauma that require specialized interventions.

The ministry announced the completion of emergency response plans for the next stage, which includes completing the 2023/2024 school year and opening the 2024/2025 school year.

The ministry called on media outlets and human rights institutions to document the “Israeli crimes” against children and depriving them of their right to education, and to prosecute Tel Aviv before international bodies and courts.

It also appealed to supporting bodies and partner institutions to provide urgent and necessary support to relieve and rehabilitate the educational sector.

With American support, Israel committed genocide in the Gaza Strip between October 7, 2023 and January 19, 2025, leaving more than 158,000 Palestinians dead and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 14,000 missing.

Last Sunday, a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel came into effect, and its first phase will last for 42 days, during which negotiations will begin to start a second and then a third phase, mediated by Egypt, Qatar and the United States.

Israel has turned Gaza into the largest prison in the world, as it has besieged it for the last 18 years, and the genocide has forced about two million of its citizens, numbering about 2.3 million Palestinians, to flee in tragic conditions with a deliberate severe shortage of food, water and medicine.