Arab networks criticize while conservative US media praise former president's declaration about potential US control of Gaza Strip.
Global media outlets reacted Wednesday with a spectrum of responses ranging from alarm to praise following US President Donald Trump's unprecedented declaration that America might assume control of the Gaza Strip during civilian evacuations.
In the Arab world, criticism emerged in response to the statements, with the UAE news network Al Arabiya, representing the moderate Arab axis, publishing a series of articles about the declaration on its website's homepage. Under the headline "Trump's statement sparked storm and criticism," various reactions from US legislators and experts criticizing Trump's decision were presented.
In conservative US media, some celebrated the Netanyahu-Trump meeting and the president's declaration regarding the Gaza Strip. Fox News published an opinion piece on its homepage where the author, James Jay Carafano, compared the Trump-Netanyahu meeting to a historic meeting between US President Theodore Roosevelt and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill during World War II. "Trump and Netanyahu will have to settle on a pacification plan for Gaza, one that won't include past mistakes like funneling money to UNRWA to fund the next generation of Jew killers," the article stated.
Liberal media in the US reported on the events with astonishment, with the dramatic declaration capturing the lead story on the news sites of The New York Times and The Washington Post. The Times published alongside the article a seemingly pre-prepared story about Republican legislators' support for Israeli sovereignty in Judea and Samaria. The Washington Post uploaded an opinion column where analyst Dana Milbank wrote: "With Israel's Netanyahu alongside, Trump adds Gaza to his list of colonial ambitions."
European media also conveyed complete shock at Trump's declaration regarding the Gaza Strip. The British newspaper The Guardian published the news as its lead story on its website alongside a brief explanatory column. The British paper questioned whether Trump intends to send American soldiers to carry out his plans in the Strip.
The French newspaper Le Monde reported: "The American president spoke about a 'long-term' commitment to presence in Palestinian territory, during a press conference alongside Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu who claimed this was a 'historic declaration.'" The Italian newspaper La Stampa dedicated its lead story to the dramatic declaration and featured an interview with Israeli historian and Zionist Benny Morris who told the paper, "The ceasefire needs to hold and the jihadists must be defeated."
