(NewsNation) — Stephen A. Smith said Tuesday that President Donald Trump’s suggestion to “own” the Gaza Strip is “ridiculous.”
Trump “sounded like a real estate agent,” Smith said during an appearance on NewsNation’s “CUOMO.” “We shouldn’t be hearing about real estate opportunities out of the mouth of the president of the United States.”
Smith believes Trump’s statement will likely be dismissed: “I think it’s a dangerous proposition and not something that should be entertained.”
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The president welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday, making him the first head of state to visit the White House in Trump’s second term. The pair of world leaders addressed the media following what Trump called “fantastic talks,” echoing an earlier suggestion that the 1.8 million Palestinians currently living in Gaza should be permanently resettled.
Trump said he sees the United States engaging in “a long-term ownership” of Gaza, telling reporters that the idea has received “tremendous praise.”
Former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Gen. Wesley Clark said Trump’s ownership idea would require “strategic consent” to work.
“There are so many details of this, but the basic concept is a wonderful concept,” Clark said on “CUOMO.” “If we could just bring peace to the region. If we could just rebuild Gaza, if the people would just stop wanting to kill each other.”
The president did not clarify whether his resettlement idea means he does not support a two-state solution.
Last year, Trump’s son-in-law said Israel should bulldoze an area of the Negev desert and move Palestinians there, The Guardian reported.
Jared Kushner praised the “very valuable” potential of Gaza’s “waterfront property” and suggested Israel should remove civilians while it “cleans up” the strip
Trump suggests ‘all’ Palestinians permanently move out of Gaza
Trump said that the Gaza Strip “should not go through a process of rebuilding and occupation by the same people that have … lived a miserable existence there,” referring to Palestinians.
“Instead, we should go to other countries of interest with humanitarian hearts” and “build various domains that will ultimately be occupied by the 1.8 million Palestinians living in Gaza,” the president said.
When asked how many Palestinians should be resettled in an earlier address Tuesday, Trump said, “All of them.”
Trump suggested building enclaves for Palestinian Gaza residents in neighboring countries. He did not suggest the same for Israeli residents.
When asked where Palestinians will go, Trump did not specify any countries.
Regarding Palestinians moving back to Gaza once it is rebuilt, Trump said he envisioned Gaza becoming an “international, unbelievable place” that includes Palestinians, though he did not provide a timeline for their return.
Trump warns ‘no guarantees’ fragile peace in Gaza will hold
The president also said the United States will take over the Gaza Strip, taking responsibility for dismantling bombs and cleaning out the debris in the region, which has been reduced to rubble since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.
When asked if U.S. troops would go to Gaza to secure the area, Trump said, “We will do whatever is necessary.”
Trump and Netanyahu also talked about the need to contain Iran and make sure Iran does not build a nuclear weapon.
NewsNation’s Robert Sherman, Kevin Bohn, Anna Kutz contributed to this report.
