Will Trump be able to pull off the impossible?

Calling the impossible into existence seems to be one of the secret ingredients to Trump’s art of the deal, because after he voiced the idea for Gazans to evacuate the place they once called home, in order to resurrect it from its uninhabitable condition, Israel’s Defense Minister Israel Katz wasted no time instructing the IDF to “prepare a plan allowing for Gazans wishing to leave the Gaza Strip voluntarily.”

While Trump’s intended relocation plan is directed to the neighboring countries of Jordan and Egypt, both have flatly refused entrance to Gazans. Nonetheless, Trump somehow got Jordan’s King Abdullah to agree to take in 2,000 sick children, and that’s just the beginning. When pressed on the matter by reporters, the king said he’d have to hear further, wanting to allow Egypt to weigh in on the matter. That doesn’t sound like a hard “no.”   

Undoubtedly, for someone who has been credited with pulling off the impossible, there is no doubt that the American president already has a few ideas on how to sweeten the pot, enticing Egypt and Jordan to change their mind and open their doors. After all, that’s what happened with Columbian president Gustavo Petro, who initially said no to Trump, concerning the return of deported migrants, but then did an about face, not only agreeing to accept them but even offering to fly them back on his own presidential plane. 

The secret sauce in that deal was threatening to impose “emergency tariffs of up to 50% on the South American country for refusing to cooperate.” So what could it be when it comes to these two obvious countries, where Gazans would feel most at home, given the same culture, language, climate, food and other familiar traditions?

In this case, the old adage of “money talks,” definitely is a high consideration when trying to do some arm-twisting. “The U.S. is Jordan’s single-largest aid provider, sending the Hashemite Kingdom 1.45 billion every year in bilateral foreign assistance.  Egypt, for its part, received $1.3 billion in miliary aid in 2024. U.S. military support for Cairo rose steeply after the country signed a peace treaty with Israel in 1979, amounting to more than $50 billion in total since then.”

What would happen if that assistance were to be conditioned upon helping to facilitate the peace which Trump so desperately wants, in his quest to end the perpetual strife which has plagued the Middle East for as long as anyone can remember? 

We actually might find out pretty soon, because the American president has already said that he might withhold aid to Jordan and Egypt if they don’t take in Palestinians.  How would that bode for Jordan and Egypt?

According to Jordan’s Department of Statistics, 24.1% of Jordanians live in poverty.  Unemployment rates are soaring among the young, as high as 21.4% as of March, 2024. Access to good education and health care is also a problem, most of it being supplied through international aid. Consequently, the future of Jordanian children looks grim, given their unlikely outcome of rising above the major economic constraints, keeping them at a terrible disadvantage. (excerpted from www.borgenproject.org) -

Guarantees of improved health care, education and employment could certainly go a long way in getting the king to come to the conclusion that a prosperous and happy people would be less likely to overturn a government which is partnering with a rich Uncle Sam to make their lives better. 

That sounds like a good return on what might need to be a sizable investment to change the economic trajectory of Jordan. Which nations would not want to jump on that fundraising bandwagon if the return for their money means a chance at lasting peace – well, at least for a few years?

It was back in the mid-90s that Jordan opened their door to tourism. Many Israelis made the trek to visit such amazing sites as Petra’s Red Rock, along with other jaw-dropping wonders of nature, not to mention its rich history and exotic charm, all of which made the trip more alluring. That stopped once incidents of terrorism began to occur, causing tourists to feel unsafe. Undoubtedly, many jobs were lost as a result. Those could easily return if the population of Jordan was committed to the prosperity which could come from a grateful Trump administration.

Likewise, Egypt, with its amazing Pyramids, Sphynx and priceless treasures housed in fabulous Cairo museums could, again, be a hot tourist spot, offering unforgettable vacations. But that, too, came to a screeching halt, given terror threats. The once favorite getaway of Israelis, the nearby Sinai, filled with affordable beachfront hotels and restaurants, likewise, saw a massive drop. In short, terrorism essentially killed the economies of both these countries by putting an end to their tourism industry.

As things stand now, the average monthly salary in Egypt is the equivalent of $428.59, making their annual salary the grand sum of just over $5,000. (excerpted from www.timechamp.io) Their health care system is also completely ill-equipped to meet the needs of its massive population of 112.5 million. There are 1.4 hospital beds per 1,000 people, placing it at a very low global average, ranking it at 153 out of 195. Of the 30% who attend university, only half of them ever graduate.

It's clear that neither Jordan’s King Abdullah nor Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El-Sisi have been able to provide a decent future for their citizens. So, is it any wonder that these two rulers live under the constant threat of having some dissatisfied internal faction execute a coup to take over control of their governments?

Ever since last Thursday, when President Donald Trump announced that Gaza would be turned over to the U.S., at the conclusion of all fighting, the memes have been non-stop – depicting everything from multiple Trump Towers, overlooking a virtual Garden of Eden, with lush greenery and foliage that rivals only the most coveted of vacation paradises. Dubai would be jealous to see that they could have stiff competition over the next few years, because when Trump promises to turn the Strip into the Riviera of the Middle East, he doesn’t seem to be speaking metaphorically.

Even those who are against the concept have admitted that the plan constitutes thinking outside of the box. So, maybe Trump, in trying to entice Jordan and Egypt, should repeat the words he often used in his first campaign, when trying to appeal to voters, “What do you have to lose?