 "The 33-second satirical and illustrative clip, titled Gaza 2025… what’s next? was shared by Trump on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: @realdonaldtrump/Instagram")
US President Donald Trump has vowed to turn Gaza into a “Riviera” of West Asia.
He wants to turn the war-ravaged Gaza Strip into a lavish tourist destination.
Doubling down his vows, the President on Wednesday shared an AI-created video on his Truth Social platform, presenting his “vision” for Gaza.
The shocking clip, which racked up millions of views, is a stark contrast to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The post is now receiving massive criticism, even from his supporters, who have called the clip “disgusting.”
Let’s take a closer look.
The controversial AI Gaza video
The 33-second satirical and illustrative clip, titled Gaza 2025… what’s next? was shared by Trump on Wednesday.
The video starts with the current state of Gaza, which is devastated and in ruins after being extensively bombarded by Israeli jets during the October 7, 2023 raid. It depicts Palestinian children crossing debris in Gaza while barefoot.
As the kids approach a skyline of skyscrapers lining Gaza’s coast, a title card asks, “What’s next?” Yachts are parked there, and sports cars are on the streets. Additionally, it has a skyscraper that is modelled after the famous Empire State Building.
A voice in the background sings, “Donald’s coming to set you free. Trump Gaza shining bright. Golden future, a brand-new light. Feast and dance. The deed is done,” as you see a young child holding a golden balloon in the shape of Trump’s head on the screen along with belly dancers wearing bikinis and bearded faces.
Furthermore, the video shows billionaire Musk eating and dancing on a beach while showered by US dollars. In the centre of the city, a “Trump Gaza” board and a massive dictator-style statue of the president seem to show who is in power. Adding to this exhibition of authority is a store that sells Trump miniatures as souvenirs.
The final scene of the video shows Trump without a shirt enjoying cocktails on a beach with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Trump has a reputation for capitalising global social media trends, which he did widely during the 2024 presidential campaign. He also has a tendency to share another people’s content on his own platform.
The latest post, however, could be labelled as rage bait because it makes use of social media algorithms to promote engagement and are based on emotions. Positive or bad, it causes a response that expands the audience and ultimately increases revenue for the social media firms.
The US President is yet to comment on why the video was shared.
Trump’s redevelopment plan for Gaza
The video comes weeks after the US president laid a plan for Gaza’s development that calls for the expulsion of 2.1 million Palestinians and the creation of a US-owned “Riviera.”
The plan has the potential to transform Gaza , according to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has referred to it as innovative. He did, however, say that should the displaced Gazans wish to return, they had to “disavow terrorism.” He stated that the primary obstacle is identifying a nation that will accommodate Gazans and proposed the creation of a Palestinian state in Saudi Arabia.
Human rights organisations, the UN, and even some have called the plan of ethnic cleansing.
The White House, however, reaffirmed the president’s earlier remarks when questioned about the most recent video and his messaging.
“As President Trump has said, Gaza in its current state is (uninhabitable) for any human being,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in the statement to NPR, adding, “President Trump is a visionary, and his plan to have the United States involved in Gaza’s rebuilding will allow for Palestinians to resettle in new, beautiful communities while improving conditions in the region for generations to come.”
Criticism
The post received massive backlash, not only from Democrats but also his supporters.
“I hate this. I love our president, but this is horrible,” one person wrote.
Another one added, “The Trump Gaza video is quite possibly the most disgusting, the most shameful, the most hideous public communication by a US President in living memory.”
A third one chipped in, “The ‘Trump Gaza’ Video is the most disgusting and vile posts made by a president made in my lifetime. Absolutely gross.”
In a statement to NPR, Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) American Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn, Michigan, called the video “offensive and counterproductive to peace talks.”
Nemer, who has claimed to have voted for Trump in November elections, said that he should remove the video and issue a “reconciliatory statement.”
Rep. Juan Vargas (D-California) wrote on X, “I’m a very big supporter of Israel, and I think Israel has every right and responsibility to defend itself. But when a president goes and does something like that – it’s despicable. It really is. It makes things more difficult on the ground… for everybody. They just did something that’s really way below the character and nature of the presidency.”
Senior Democrat and New York Rep. Greg Meeks said, “I cannot believe a president of the United States could ever put something on their official (social media account) on that. And we are to take that man seriously? It is absolutely ridiculous and insulting to me, and I think to anybody that understands history – that understands the complications of trying to get a true peace in the Middle East.”
‘Not in the interests of the people’
Basem Naim, spokesperson and Hamas Political Bureau member, said that Trump’s proposed idea of Gaza does not align with the cultures and interests of Palestinians living in the enclave.
“The people of Gaza are looking forward to the day when they see Gaza rebuilt, economically revived and building a better future for its children, but this cannot succeed inside the big prison. We are not struggling to improve prison conditions, but to get rid of the prison and the jailer.”
Egypt’s plan to rebuild Gaza
West Asian countries, including Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, have outright rejected Trump’s plan for Gaza.
The Arab leaders under Egypt’s leadership are formulating a response to Trump’s plan.
They are set to meet in Cairo on March 4 to discuss the plan and will likely present it to the American President at a later date.
The Gaza Strip’s reconstruction is estimated to cost more than $53 billion.
Although some help has been able to enter Gaza due to a tenuous ceasefire, the area is still rife with political unrest and military conflict.
Israel, which blockaded the strip for years, and Hamas militants, who were widely accused of corruption, hampered earlier economic plans for Gaza, which ultimately failed.
With inputs from agencies