But beneath his astonishing plan were echoes of forced displacement that have shaped Palestinian society since 1948. The establishment of Israel that year in the Arab-Israeli war is known to Palestinians as the Nakba, or “catastrophe,” because of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians who fled or were expelled from their homes.

Allies and adversaries of the United States reacted with shock and disapproval Wednesday to President Trump's announcement of plans for the United States to "take over" the Gaza Strip. Mr. Trump's suggestion that the Palestinian territory — part of the land that many people hope will eventually become an independent Palestinian state — be redeveloped into a "Riviera of the Middle East,

Mad” is how one Middle East source reacted to US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a “takeover” of Gaza. So why would someone well versed in Trumpian tactics and the nuance of Middle East diplomacy give such an undiplomatic assessment?