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“Riviera of the Med.?” Absurd, Inhumane, Heartless, Callous

“Riviera of the Med.?” Absurd, Inhumane, Heartless, Callous

Last updated on: February 5, 2025 at 10:00 am by Rob Dalrymple

“Riviera of the Med.?” Absurd, Inhumane, Heartless, Callous 2025-02-05T07:40:48-08:00 Rob Dalrymple

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a child sits on the rubble of what was his home. We must wonder, “How many of his family members lie under the rubble? This child known nothing but war for most of his life. What can only wonder, “What are the odds that this child grows up to hate those who did this? What are the odds that he will become a ‘terrorist'”?

In case you didn’t hear, last week, Trump said that he wants to “clean out” Gaza. In case that wasn’t enough, He said yesterday, “The Gaza has not worked. It has never worked. I think they should get a good fresh piece of land. I don’t know how they could want to stay. It’s a demolition site. If we could find the right piece of land or numerous pieces of land and build them some nice places. They could be Jordan. They could be in Egypt.”

There is no other way to say it than this is a classic definition of ethnic cleansing.

NB: Ethnic cleansing is the forced displacement of a people from their land to another. It includes the destruction of a people’s homes, community, and culture through violence and/or forced displacement.

Some might say that ethnic cleansing is not formally illegal under international law. Without addressing the legality or illegality of the issue, there is no justification for forcibly removing people from their homes. One must remember that Trump is advocating for the forcible removal of Gazans—more than 80% of whom are already refugees or descendants of refugees from 1948.

Nonetheless, here are six thoughts on this deeply troubling idea.

For one, although not formally illegal, the evidence is abundant that ethnic cleansing is a violation of international law.

The Geneva Convention of 1949 forbids “individual or mass forcible transfers” and “deportations of protected persons from occupied territory.”

While ethnic cleansing is not a formal legal term like genocide, it is considered a crime against humanity under international law.

Second, forcibly transferring a population from their home is morally reprehensible.

The right to remain in one’s home is a fundamental human right, and the Palestinian people have done nothing to forfeit that right. To suggest otherwise amounts to a classic case of collective punishment.

Third, who are we—or any other group—to dictate where others must live?

This presumption assumes that “we” have the moral authority to determine their fate, thereby denying their human dignity.

Fourth, this is a textbook case of Western imperialism.

Fifth, there is little doubt that economic motives are present.

Trump’s outrageous claim that Gaza should be turned into the “Riviera of the Mediterranean” is not just disgraceful—it is evil. There are undoubtedly economic motivations behind this. Does his son-in-law plan to carry out his desire to put beachfront properties on the strip?

Finally, this is not a partisan issue.

I have noted on multiple occasions that President Biden and his administration are accomplices in genocide and should be tried for war crimes. Now, President Trump’s declarations make him complicit as well.

I’ll address this issue and others in my upcoming series of Livestreams beginning next Wednesday, Feb. 12 8:00 pm EST. Here is the link, which will work even after the event has been completed.

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History and Religion

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About Rob Dalrymple

Rob Dalrymple is married to his wife Toni and is the father of four fabulous children, and two grandchildren. He has been teaching and pastoring for over 34 years at colleges, seminaries, and the local church. He has a PhD in biblical interpretation. He is the author of six books (including Follow the Lamb: A Guide to Reading, Understanding, and Applying the Book of Revelation & Understanding the New Testament and the End Times: Why it Matters) as well as numerous articles and other publications. His commentary on the book of Revelation titled, “Revelation: a Love Story” (Cascade Books, July 2024) is making waves in the scholarly world. His latest book, Land of Contention: Biblical Narratives and the Struggle for the Holy Land discussed the role of the church in peacemaking in the light of the war on Gaza and the struggles in the West Bank and is available now on Amazon or wherever you get your books (hopefully somewhere besides Amazon!) You can read more about the author here.

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