President-elect Donald Trump’s spectacular victory in the 2024 elections was met with mixed reactions in the Arab world, with some expressing fear and anger, and others sharing hope.
In the Gaza Strip, some voiced optimism that Trump would save them from the disaster they are facing.
“We were displaced from our homes, they killed us, we have nothing left. We want peace,” Mamdu al-Jadaba, an Arab from Jabaliya in the northern Strip, told AFP. “I hope Trump will find a solution. We need someone as strong as Trump to end the war – and save us. We need to put an end to this.”
Umm Ahmed Harb from Gaza said she believes Trump will “be on our side.”
“We expect that there will be peace and that the war will end during Trump’s term because, in his election campaign, he said he wanted peace and called for an end to the wars in Gaza and the Middle East,” said Ibrahim Aliyan from Gaza City. “With the help of Allah, the war in the Gaza Strip will end and the situation will change.”
However, Abu Osama, from Khan Younes, told Reuters that Trump’s victory is “a new catastrophe in the history of the Palestinian people.”
“Despite the destruction, death, and displacement we have seen, what is going to come will be more difficult and politically destructive,” he predicted.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas congratulated Trump on his election, sending a cable in which he “expressed his aspiration to work with President Trump for peace and security in the region,” stressing the “commitment of the Palestinian people to the pursuit of freedom, self-determination, and statehood, in accordance with international law.”
“We will remain steadfast in our commitment to peace, and we are confident that the United States will support, under your leadership, the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people,” he added.
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri told Reuters that Trump “will be tested on his statements that he can stop the war within hours as US president.”
“We urge Trump to learn from Biden’s mistakes,” Abu Zuhri said.
Trump has stated that he would push to end the war in Gaza. However, this may mean that he would provide Israel with the means and ability to act freely, not curtailing its operations as the Biden administration has been doing, a policy that essentially prolonged the war in Gaza.
