In an interview with Fox News aired on Wednesday, Hungarian Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade Péter Szijjártó praised US President Donald Trump’s dealmaking and negotiation skills, stating that nothing is impossible when it comes to him. Szijjártó was asked about Trump’s announcement on Tuesday that Washington is prepared to take control of Gaza and invest billions of dollars in infrastructure, transforming it into the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. ‘Hungary is interested in any solution that brings peace and stability to the Middle East,’ the Hungarian FM emphasized.
‘This is perhaps the most complicated issue in the world today—how to achieve long-term peace in the Middle East,’ Szijjártó opined, adding that ‘when it comes to President Trump, I would not exclude anything.’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu became the first foreign leader to visit the White House on Tuesday since Trump’s inauguration on 20 January. This was also the first meeting between the two leaders since Israel and Hamas reached a ceasefire and hostage release deal on 15 January, in which Trump’s team reportedly played a significant role. At the time Trump pledged that Washington would ensure that ‘Gaza never again becomes a terrorist safe haven.’
‘Riviera of the Middle East’
On Tuesday Trump revealed his plan to keep that promise, announcing that the United States is ready to take control of Gaza. ‘They’re [the Gazans] living under fallen concrete that’s very dangerous and very precarious. They instead can occupy all of a beautiful area with homes and safety, and they can live out their lives in peace and harmony instead of having to go back and do it again. The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too,’ he stated, shocking much of the world.
The president also stated that his goal is to ‘create an economic development that will supply unlimited numbers of jobs and housing for the people of the area,’ referring to Gaza as a ‘demolition site’. Trump’s plan would also involve the temporary relocation of Gazans, estimated to affect around 1.8 million people. During this period, neighbouring Arab countries would be expected to take in Gaza’s residents—Trump has reportedly urged Egypt, Jordan, and other states to do so. When asked whether his plan signifies a break from the decades-old US policy of a two-state solution regarding the Palestinian–Israeli conflict, the president responded: ‘It doesn’t mean anything about a two-state or one-state or any other state. It means that we want to give people a chance at life.’
Thinking Outside the Box
Trump’s Gaza plan has triggered significant international backlash, with some labelling the proposed temporary relocation of Palestinians as ‘ethnic cleansing’. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Beijing has long ‘believed that the “Palestinians governing Palestine” is the fundamental principle of post-conflict governance of Gaza.’ Most Arab nations have also condemned the proposal, with Saudi Arabia—a key regional power in the push for further normalization between Arab states and Israel—rejecting any attempt ‘to displace Palestinians from their land.’ Most Western leaders echoed this position, advocating for a two-state solution to resolve the conflict.
Netanyahu, however, endorsed the plan, praising Trump’s willingness to challenge conventional thinking, which, he argued, has failed many times before. He stated that thinking ‘outside the box with fresh ideas’ will help Israel achieve its goals in Gaza. ‘This is the kind of thinking that will reshape the Middle East and bring peace,’ he emphasized. Netanyahu also cited the Abraham Accords—the historic normalization agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain in 2020—as an example of Trump’s innovative approach to diplomacy and its success.
‘Szijjártó called the Gaza plan shockingly innovative’
In his Fox News interview, Szijjártó also mentioned the Abraham Accords, reminding viewers that they were initially met with scepticism similar to the current Gaza plan. ‘When President Trump announced his plan regarding the Abraham Accords, there was hardly anyone in the world who believed in the success of those agreements,’ he pointed out, adding that the accords have brought a completely new dimension to life in the Middle East. Szijjártó also called the Gaza plan ‘shockingly innovative’.
A key foreign policy objective of Trump’s second administration is to expand the Abraham Accords by bringing more Arab countries into the normalization framework. Courting Saudi Arabia to end hostilities with Israel would be a diplomatic success remembered for years to come. ‘I think peace between Israel and Saudi Arabia is not only feasible, I think it’s going to happen,’ Netanyahu stated on Tuesday. However, according to a statement from the Saudi Foreign Ministry condemning the Gaza plan, Riyadh will not engage in further negotiations until a Palestinian state is established.
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