Trump, Oil, and the Erasure of Palestine
Thousands of displaced Palestinians try to return to their destroyed homes in northern Gaza, only to face relentless warnings from the Israeli military to turn back. These scenes of despair, captured by global media, tell more than just a story of war. They represent a broader, more sinister campaign of ethnic cleansing fueled not only by Israel’s territorial ambitions but also by America's energy hunger—one that finds dangerous momentum under former President Donald Trump.
In his inaugural speech, Trump declared his intent to make the U.S. “a manufacturing nation once again” by exploiting America’s vast reserves of oil and gas. But his vision for energy dominance extends far beyond U.S. borders. He has sought oil in Alaska’s wilderness, eyed Canada as the 51st state, and even proposed buying Greenland from Denmark—all in the name of securing cheap, abundant energy for American industry.
Now, his gaze has turned toward Palestine. Under the guise of supporting Israel, Trump has endorsed one of the most brutal military campaigns in recent history. Israel has destroyed over two-thirds of Gaza’s infrastructure and killed approximately 10 percent of its population. Trump’s solution? Forcibly relocate 1.9 million Palestinians to Jordan and Egypt to “clean out” Gaza once and for all—completing what many see as an ongoing campaign of ethnic cleansing that began decades ago.
But Trump's motives aren't purely ideological. They are also economic. A 2019 UNCTAD report revealed that Palestinian territories—especially the Mediterranean coast off Gaza—hold approximately 122 trillion cubic feet of gas and 1.7 billion barrels of oil, valued at more than $522 billion. For Trump, this resource is too valuable to remain under Palestinian control.
This is why Trump has persistently pushed Arab nations to normalize relations with Israel, including orchestrating the Abraham Accords during his first term. These agreements, between Israel and countries like Bahrain, Morocco, and Sudan, served dual purposes: bolstering Israel’s regional legitimacy and paving the way for joint economic ventures to exploit Palestinian natural resources.
Recent investigative reports have added even more horror to this unfolding tragedy. According to Haaretz, Israeli soldiers have revealed that their commanders ordered them to fire live ammunition on unarmed Palestinians at U.S.-backed aid distribution points in Gaza. One soldier described the scene as “a killing field.” This direct targeting of civilians underscores the brutality of the campaign and the impunity that comes with U.S. political and military backing.
As Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu openly displays maps that erase Palestine entirely, his administration accelerates a settler-colonial vision rooted in religious nationalism. Gaza is being emptied, the West Bank militarized, and the very idea of a two-state solution obliterated. Trump supports this vision without reservation.
Yet, the Palestinian people have not surrendered. When a fragile ceasefire briefly took effect, images emerged of Palestinians returning to their shattered homes—not in defeat, but with resolve. They rebuild, they endure, and they continue to resist. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken even acknowledged that Hamas has likely recruited as many fighters as it has lost, a sign that the occupation has only hardened resistance.
Trump’s political return emboldens Netanyahu and other hardliners to pursue maximalist goals without fear of consequence. In doing so, the U.S. risks greater global isolation. As economist Richard Wolff pointed out, an increasing number of Americans and international observers now see Washington as complicit in genocide, funding and arming Israel even as atrocities mount.
The oil in Gaza is not merely a natural resource—it has become a cursed prize. It has drawn foreign powers into a bloody conflict and emboldened extremists who view human lives as obstacles to profit. Trump's dream of oil-fueled industrial resurgence now drips with Palestinian blood.
Meanwhile, Arab states and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) remain largely inert. Their failure to act meaningfully in the face of war crimes has frustrated many, especially as Israeli aggression spreads into the West Bank with intensified raids in Jenin and beyond. The silence of regional powers is as deafening as the drones overhead.
Trump's alignment with fossil fuel tycoons and far-right Zionists reveals a terrifying truth: for the current geopolitical order, Palestinian lives are expendable if they stand between capital and crude oil. His calls to make America “great again” are being translated on the ground into mass death and displacement.
But the Palestinian people are not going anywhere. They remain on their land, clinging to it not only with hope but with the understanding that justice delayed is not always justice denied. From the ruins of Rafah to the alleys of Jenin, they are not just surviving—they are resisting.
This moment in history is not just about occupation. It is about resource extraction disguised as diplomacy, colonialism cloaked in democracy, and genocide normalized through silence. The world must decide: will it continue to turn a blind eye, or will it finally confront the machinery of empire that fuels these atrocities?
Palestine is not a relic of history. It is a living struggle. And though it may be surrounded by bulldozers, bombs, and billionaires, its people still stand. The oil beneath their feet is not the future America needs—it is the line that defines who we are as a global community.
Because the moment we allow oil to justify extermination, we forfeit not only Palestine—but our shared humanity.
