FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Washington, D.C. - February 06, 2025

Media Contact:
media@cmep.org

925-766-9050

CMEP Condemns President Trump’s Call for the Forced Displacement of Palestinians from Gaza

6th Feb. 2025 Washington D.C.- Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) vehemently opposes President Donald Trump’s recent comments advocating for the forced removal of the Palestinian population from Gaza. This is an open call for ethnic cleansing and a blatant violation of international and humanitarian law, as well as a fundamental affront to the sanctity of human life. Additionally, such language further undermines the current ceasefire, which the Trump Administration worked hard to secure and is directly responsible for ensuring all parties continue to adhere to its tenants through the completion of phase three of the deal. 

The Palestinian people have endured 76 years of occupation and dispossession. For the past 15 months, they have faced relentless bombardment and mass killings, yet many have demonstrated the intention to remain in their homeland. Prior to Israel’s blockade of Gaza, approximately 70% of the Palestinian population in the enclave were already refugees—displaced from their homes in what is now the modern-day state of Israel. If Trump’s plan of displacement were to be carried out, this would mark yet another mass forced expulsion of the Palestinian people from their ancestral homeland, further traumatizing a people who have previously experienced multiple displacements. Trump’s plan, with the explicit support of Prime Minister Netanyahu, is a deliberate and systematic effort to depopulate Gaza, a violation of international law that cannot be ignored. 

The implementation of such forced expulsion would not bring stability or peace to the region. Instead, such actions would further disenfranchise Palestinians, deepen their suffering, and strengthen ideologies that support armed resistance. Such an ongoing cycle of displacement and violence, if implemented, would only perpetuate instability, not resolve it. Such instability has ramifications beyond Israel-Palestine and risks further radicalization in the region.

Trump also spoke about the need to rebuild and invest in Gaza. CMEP affirms that Gaza must be rebuilt, and we call for an international coalition—including the United States—to invest in Gaza’s reconstruction. However, this must be done without forcing Palestinians from their land and with the full participation of the Palestinian people. The people of Gaza have the right to remain in their homes, to lead the reconstruction of their communities, and to live in dignity and security. Any attempt to displace them once again is a moral and legal atrocity that the international community must unequivocally reject.

CMEP calls on the U.S. government and the global community to stand against this plan and to commit to upholding Palestinian rights and positively addressing the core issues of the conflict, ensuring that justice, peace, and human rights are at the center of any future efforts to rebuild Gaza and end this decades-long oppression.

Formed in 1984, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) is a coalition of more than 30 national church communions and organizations, including Catholic, Orthodox, Protestant, and Evangelical traditions that works to encourage US policies that actively promote a comprehensive resolution to conflicts in the Middle East with a focus on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. CMEP works to mobilize US Christians to embrace a holistic perspective and to be advocates of equality, human rights, security, and justice for Israelis, Palestinians, and all people of the Middle East.

Recent CMEP Statements and Press Releases:

Jan 28, 2025 Humanitarian Snapshot #9
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP), along with dozens of international humanitarian organizations, urgently calls upon the international community to address the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza. This comes as findings reveal the failure to implement critical provisional measures outlined by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) a year ago, resulting in unprecedented suffering among Palestinians.

Jan 23, 2025 Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Calls for Deescalation, Demilitarization, and Support of Permanent Ceasefire and Lasting Peace between Israel and Hamas and in the broader Middle East
The inauguration of President Trump marked the beginning of his administration, with promises of peace and unity in his inaugural speech. However, his initial actions, such as lifting sanctions on Israeli settlers and reintroducing heavy weaponry to conflict zones, contradict these commitments, prioritizing militarization over diplomacy. CMEP urges the Trump Administration to uphold the Gaza ceasefire, promote justice, and address the root causes of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through non-violent means. CMEP also highlights ongoing violence in the West Bank, Gaza, and Lebanon, calling for accountability and the protection of innocent lives amid escalating tensions and violations of ceasefire agreements.

Jan 16, 2025 Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) Welcomes Positive Steps Toward a Negotiated Settlement, Permanent Ceasefire in Gaza, and Calls for Accountability
After more than 15 months of devastating violence in Gaza and throughout the region, Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) welcomes with cautious optimism the recent announcement of a hostage and ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel. This long-overdue agreement brings a glimmer of hope that might end the suffering that has plagued Gaza for far too long, including the deaths of over 46,000 people and the devastation of famine and lack of humanitarian access. The Palestinian people of Gaza and all impacted by this ongoing violence deserve relief and the chance to rebuild their lives.

Dec 31, 2024 CMEP Calls for the Protection of Healthcare Facilities in Gaza
Churches for Middle East Peace (CMEP) joins the Episcopal Church in their call for an end to attacks against Gaza’s healthcare system. In recent days the al Ahli hospital in Gaza City, a ministry of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem, was hit by an Israeli strike causing further damage to the hospital which is already operating above capacity to respond to the ever-growing need for medical treatments.

See all of our public statements and press releases.