People of Conscience Reject Trump's Ethnic Cleansing Proposal for Gaza
February 14th, 2025
Justice For All Canada unequivocally condemns US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly remove over 1 million Palestinians from Gaza and impose U.S. control over the territory. What he is calling for is not new, but a long-standing effort to erase Palestinians from their homeland. This callous suggestion would be nothing short of ethnic cleansing, and follows a well-documented pattern of apartheid violations designed to push Palestinians into permanent exile. In 1948, over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled during the Nakba, as Zionist militias seized Palestinian land. In 1967, the Naksa led to another mass expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Since 2007, Israeli policies have systematically made Gaza unliveable.
For over a year, Israeli forces have already deliberately displaced Palestinians through relentless bombardment, destruction of homes, and the cutting off of food, water, and medicine. International human rights organizations have acknowledged the Israeli forces’ actions as systematic and intentional, as part of a larger campaign of war crimes and genocide. According to the United Nations, Trump’s proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza is illegal and would only accelerate an already dire human rights catastrophe.
However, it is also a calculated move. Following his 2025 re-election, President Trump is intensifying efforts to solidify support from Zionist and far-right evangelical Christian support, many of whom see the mass displacement of Palestinians as fulfilling “religious prophecy”. Israel’s far-right government and settler movement have also long promoted the idea of a Palestine-free Israel. Moreover, President Trump’s allies, including Jared Kushner, have also spoken openly about Gaza’s “real estate potential,” exposing the financial and colonial motives behind this plan. Their vision treats Gaza not as a home for millions of Palestinians, but as a commodity to be seized and repurposed.
Justice For All Canada and human rights advocates worldwide have been actively challenging these signs of an orchestrated ethnic cleansing campaign, calling out apartheid policies and the destruction of Palestinian communities as clear violations of international law. As senior Israeli officials have repeatedly signalled their intention to depopulate Gaza, Trump's comments serve as an endorsement of their violent policies. The Biden administration’s continued military support for Israel has already potentially made the U.S. complicit in war crimes. Meanwhile Canada, despite its stated commitments to human rights, continues to exploit diplomatic and legal loopholes to avoid accountability, turning a blind eye as Palestinians face the threat of mass displacement and permanent erasure from their homeland. With Trump now openly calling for mass expulsion, the United States risks moving from complicity to direct perpetration of crimes under international law.
The world is rejecting this. In a full-page ad in The New York Times, 350 rabbis and Jewish public figures denounced this, stating: Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing. The Vatican has also condemned the plan, calling it an immoral and unethical attack on Palestinian existence. Palestinians themselves have reiterated that Gaza is their home, and they will not be displaced. Survivors of Israel’s bombing campaign, thousands of whom have lost entire families, have vowed to remain and rebuild.
The Canadian government has stated its commitment to a two-state solution, but statements alone will not stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Justice For All Canada has already called on the Liberal government to take meaningful action by recognizing Palestinian statehood, as published in The Hill Times by Executive Director, Taha Ghayyur. Doing so would directly challenge President Trump’s ethnic cleansing proposal and serve as a significant diplomatic measure in countering the escalating threats of forced displacement.
President Trump’s plan is genocide in motion. We call on The Canadian Government to take a bold stance and implement the following measures:
Sources
Donmez , B. B. (n.d.). Un rights chief slams Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza. Anadolu Ajansı. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/un-rights-chief-slams-trump-s-plan-to-take-over-gaza/3472831
Editorial. (2025, February 5). Trump indicates intent to escalate ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/05/trump-indicates-intent-escalate-ethnic-cleansing-gaza
Jonathan Cook. (2025, February 14). Trump didn’t invent the Gaza Ethnic Cleansing Plan. it’s been US policy since 2007. Trump didn’t invent the Gaza ethnic cleansing plan. It’s been US policy since 2007. https://jonathancook.substack.com/p/trump-didnt-invent-the-gaza-ethnic
Mansoor, S. (2025, February 10). “You don’t own Gaza, Donald Trump”: Palestinians vow to remain and rebuild. The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2025/02/08/trump-gaza-palestinians-displace/
Merlo, F. (2025, February 14). Hundreds of rabbis protest “Ethnic cleansing” plan for Gaza. Vatican News. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-02/hundreds-of-rabbis-appeal-no-to-ethnic-cleansing-in-gaza.html
Sheth, N., & Farrell, M. (2025, January 30). U of T Law takes on the United Nations. Ultra Vires. https://ultravires.ca/2025/01/u-of-t-law-takes-on-the-united-nations/
Justice For All Canada unequivocally condemns US President Donald Trump’s proposal to forcibly remove over 1 million Palestinians from Gaza and impose U.S. control over the territory. What he is calling for is not new, but a long-standing effort to erase Palestinians from their homeland. This callous suggestion would be nothing short of ethnic cleansing, and follows a well-documented pattern of apartheid violations designed to push Palestinians into permanent exile. In 1948, over 750,000 Palestinians were expelled during the Nakba, as Zionist militias seized Palestinian land. In 1967, the Naksa led to another mass expulsion of Palestinians from the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza. Since 2007, Israeli policies have systematically made Gaza unliveable.
For over a year, Israeli forces have already deliberately displaced Palestinians through relentless bombardment, destruction of homes, and the cutting off of food, water, and medicine. International human rights organizations have acknowledged the Israeli forces’ actions as systematic and intentional, as part of a larger campaign of war crimes and genocide. According to the United Nations, Trump’s proposal to expel Palestinians from Gaza is illegal and would only accelerate an already dire human rights catastrophe.
However, it is also a calculated move. Following his 2025 re-election, President Trump is intensifying efforts to solidify support from Zionist and far-right evangelical Christian support, many of whom see the mass displacement of Palestinians as fulfilling “religious prophecy”. Israel’s far-right government and settler movement have also long promoted the idea of a Palestine-free Israel. Moreover, President Trump’s allies, including Jared Kushner, have also spoken openly about Gaza’s “real estate potential,” exposing the financial and colonial motives behind this plan. Their vision treats Gaza not as a home for millions of Palestinians, but as a commodity to be seized and repurposed.
Justice For All Canada and human rights advocates worldwide have been actively challenging these signs of an orchestrated ethnic cleansing campaign, calling out apartheid policies and the destruction of Palestinian communities as clear violations of international law. As senior Israeli officials have repeatedly signalled their intention to depopulate Gaza, Trump's comments serve as an endorsement of their violent policies. The Biden administration’s continued military support for Israel has already potentially made the U.S. complicit in war crimes. Meanwhile Canada, despite its stated commitments to human rights, continues to exploit diplomatic and legal loopholes to avoid accountability, turning a blind eye as Palestinians face the threat of mass displacement and permanent erasure from their homeland. With Trump now openly calling for mass expulsion, the United States risks moving from complicity to direct perpetration of crimes under international law.
The world is rejecting this. In a full-page ad in The New York Times, 350 rabbis and Jewish public figures denounced this, stating: Trump has called for the removal of all Palestinians from Gaza. Jewish people say no to ethnic cleansing. The Vatican has also condemned the plan, calling it an immoral and unethical attack on Palestinian existence. Palestinians themselves have reiterated that Gaza is their home, and they will not be displaced. Survivors of Israel’s bombing campaign, thousands of whom have lost entire families, have vowed to remain and rebuild.
The Canadian government has stated its commitment to a two-state solution, but statements alone will not stop the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. Justice For All Canada has already called on the Liberal government to take meaningful action by recognizing Palestinian statehood, as published in The Hill Times by Executive Director, Taha Ghayyur. Doing so would directly challenge President Trump’s ethnic cleansing proposal and serve as a significant diplomatic measure in countering the escalating threats of forced displacement.
President Trump’s plan is genocide in motion. We call on The Canadian Government to take a bold stance and implement the following measures:
- Recognize the state of Palestine and support its full membership in the United Nations.
- End potential complicity in violations of international law by halting arms exports to Israel and ceasing diplomatic cover for ongoing war crimes.
- Reject any attempt to forcibly displace Palestinians from Gaza or prevent their return. Forced displacement is illegal under international law, and any plan that removes Palestinians under the guise of "humanitarian relocation" must be condemned.
- Hold Israel accountable for war crimes and genocide. Canada must go beyond statements and actively support efforts at the International Court of Justice, International Criminal Court and other legal mechanisms addressing violations of international law in Gaza.
- End economic and diplomatic support for Israel’s illegal policies. Canada must sever trade agreements and diplomatic protections that enable Israel’s illegal occupation, settlement expansion, and military aggression.
- Push for an immediate ceasefire and support the reconstruction of Gaza. The destruction of Palestinian homes and infrastructure is deliberate. Canada must demand an end to military aggression, facilitate unrestricted humanitarian aid, and contribute to rebuilding efforts without political conditions.
- Support Palestinian self-determination beyond rhetoric. Palestinians have the right to political representation, economic sovereignty, and freedom from occupation. Canada must take a leadership role in ensuring these rights are upheld.
Sources
Donmez , B. B. (n.d.). Un rights chief slams Trump’s plan to “take over” Gaza. Anadolu Ajansı. https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/un-rights-chief-slams-trump-s-plan-to-take-over-gaza/3472831
Editorial. (2025, February 5). Trump indicates intent to escalate ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Human Rights Watch. https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/05/trump-indicates-intent-escalate-ethnic-cleansing-gaza
Jonathan Cook. (2025, February 14). Trump didn’t invent the Gaza Ethnic Cleansing Plan. it’s been US policy since 2007. Trump didn’t invent the Gaza ethnic cleansing plan. It’s been US policy since 2007. https://jonathancook.substack.com/p/trump-didnt-invent-the-gaza-ethnic
Mansoor, S. (2025, February 10). “You don’t own Gaza, Donald Trump”: Palestinians vow to remain and rebuild. The Intercept. https://theintercept.com/2025/02/08/trump-gaza-palestinians-displace/
Merlo, F. (2025, February 14). Hundreds of rabbis protest “Ethnic cleansing” plan for Gaza. Vatican News. https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2025-02/hundreds-of-rabbis-appeal-no-to-ethnic-cleansing-in-gaza.html
Sheth, N., & Farrell, M. (2025, January 30). U of T Law takes on the United Nations. Ultra Vires. https://ultravires.ca/2025/01/u-of-t-law-takes-on-the-united-nations/