'Very disrespectful': Palestinian Americans slam Trump for Netanyahu visit

U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to invite Benjamin Netanyahu as the first foreign leader to visit the White House is viewed by observers and human rights activists as a show of support for Israel's devastating war in Gaza and highlights the inhumane treatment faced by Palestinians.

Netanyahu, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity, is visiting Washington D.C. this week. Meanwhile, Israeli military operations continue in and around the occupied West Bank. Since January 21, attacks in the Jenin refugee camp and Tulkarem have resulted in the deaths of over 50 Palestinians and displaced more than 26,000 people.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) issued a statement on Monday stating that the Israeli military destroyed 23 buildings in Jenin on Sunday alone. Jonathan Kuttab, executive director of Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), told Middle East Eye that inviting Netanyahu is not only disrespectful to Palestinians, considering what has transpired in Gaza over the past 16 months, but it also further demonstrates Trump's lack of interest in the rule of law.

Kuttab stated, “His worldview is power over law; it’s about superpowers and bullying, not cooperative problem-solving. Trump has a complete disregard for international law and disrespect for the values of decency, democracy, and civilization. He’s just a powerful bully who wants to show off his power and has no problem colluding with criminals to achieve his own interests.”

The Palestinian Ministry of Health states that since October 2023, Israeli actions in Gaza have resulted in the deaths of over 47,000 people, which some human rights experts have described as genocide, and have called for an arms embargo on Israel. Before heading to Washington, Netanyahu said he would discuss with Trump “defeating Hamas, achieving the release of all hostages, and dealing with all components of the Iranian terror axis.”

Palestinian Americans believe that Trump may be looking to expand the scope of the Abraham Accords by including Netanyahu in a “business deal,” with the ultimate goal of formalizing relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia. Trump last week described Gaza as a “demolition site” and called on Egypt and Jordan to take in Palestinians, echoing calls by members of Netanyahu's government for “ethnic cleansing” in Gaza.

The Palestinian leadership, including Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, has condemned the proposal, and Jordan and Egypt have likewise rejected the idea. However, Amman announced on Sunday that Jordan’s King Abdullah II would visit the White House in the second week of February to meet with Trump, just days after Netanyahu’s visit, raising concerns.

Rayan Fuleihan, education coordinator at The People’s Forum in New York City, told Middle East Eye, “We need to look at Trump as a businessman. Usually, billionaires hide behind politicians. Here, the billionaire is the politician. Trump has different plans, and his recent plans suggest he intends to expand what was known as the ‘deal of the century.’”

Kuttab also believes that Netanyahu will likely try to obtain more weapons or an agreement from Trump to carry out more operations in Gaza or the occupied West Bank, or the ultimate goal is to pressure Jordan and Egypt to allow the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza. Trump signed a series of executive orders in his second term that shook the political system and angered ordinary Americans due to their scope and impact.

These executive orders will affect healthcare, education, and immigration, as well as the future of American political activism. As part of the broad presidential actions, Trump also enacted a new version of the travel ban, aimed at deporting individuals who “espouse hate ideologies,” and stipulating that foreign students could be deported if they protest Israel’s war in Gaza.

Immigration lawyer Eric Lee, who represents several university students facing deportation for their pro-Palestinian activism, told Middle East Eye last week, “In sum, these two executive orders effectively ban all non-citizens, including green card holders, from criticizing the U.S. government, its institutions, or the State of Israel under penalty of deportation.”

Taher Herzallah of American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) told Middle East Eye that inviting Netanyahu to the White House is typical of Trump. He said that given Trump’s accomplishments during his first term – from moving the embassy to Jerusalem to recognizing the Golan Heights, to the Abraham Accords – it is not surprising to see him so firmly standing with Israel.

Herzallah argues, “If Trump wanted to turn a new page in the region, he would immediately halt funding to Israel, as he has done to other countries, and apply pressure to achieve tangible results on the ground that address the humanitarian needs and legitimate political aspirations of the Palestinian people. This would be very much in line with his ‘America First’ policy and save taxpayers billions of dollars that are being used to serve Israeli interests.”

Activists in New York City say that regardless of the outcome of this week's meeting between the two leaders, the growing pro-Palestinian movement in the U.S. will be ready to respond. Over the past year and a half, opposition to Israeli actions against Palestinians has grown. While not conclusive, most polls by the end of 2024 show that more Americans now oppose Israel’s war or think that Israel is “going too far” in Gaza. Fuleihan added, “We have to build on the accomplishments of the last 15 months and expand the movement to include everyone affected by its policies.”