President Donald Trump questioned one of the most consequential decisions in modern Israeli history—the 2005 withdrawal from Gaza. “I don’t understand why Israel ever gave up Gaza,” Trump said, referring to the controversial disengagement plan that saw the evacuation of all Israeli communities and military forces from the coastal enclave.
Calling the Gaza Strip “an incredible piece of important real estate,” Trump didn’t just criticize the past—he offered a bold vision for the future: American involvement, control, and transformation of Gaza into what he called a “Freedom Zone.”
The Consequences of 2005: From Peace Dream to Terror Fortress
Trump’s critique is rooted in hard reality. In 2005, under immense international pressure and with the promise of peace, Israel unilaterally withdrew from Gaza. It forcibly removed over 8,000 Jews from their homes, turning the region over to what was then the Palestinian Authority.
What followed wasn’t peace—it was a takeover by Hamas. In just two years, the Iranian-backed terror group seized control, turning Gaza into a terror factory: thousands of rockets launched into Israeli cities, terror tunnels dug under the border, and billions of dollars in foreign aid funneled into weapons and propaganda.
Trump’s disbelief is shared by many Israelis and Americans who now recognize that the Gaza withdrawal didn’t bring peace—it brought war.
A New Vision: U.S. Peace Force and the “Freedom Zone”
Trump went further, envisioning a dramatically different future for Gaza: “I think it’s something that we would be involved in. Having a peace force like the U.S. there, controlling and owning the Gaza Strip, would be a good thing… You call it the Freedom Zone.”
This idea echoes his earlier proposals to replace Gaza’s terror infrastructure with a U.S.-backed model of prosperity and stability—removing Hamas, rebuilding infrastructure, and opening the door to economic investment and peace, not jihad.
A U.S.-controlled Freedom Zone would dismantle Iran’s grip on the region and finally liberate Gaza’s population from the tyranny of Hamas—a regime that has weaponized them as human shields in its war on Israel.
Netanyahu: “They Are Locked In—But Not By Us”
In a rare and powerful moment of agreement, Prime Minister Netanyahu addressed the myth that Israel “locked in” Gaza’s population. “Gaza was the only place where they locked them in. We didn’t lock them in. They are locked in,” he said—pointing the finger squarely at Hamas and its Iranian sponsors.
Indeed, it is not Israel that prevents freedom in Gaza. It is Hamas, which uses terror to control its own people, turning aid into ammunition and ideology into warfare.
Reclaiming Security and Morality
Trump’s comments reflect a growing recognition that the international community’s policies toward Gaza have failed. From the disastrous 2005 withdrawal to the blind funding of UNRWA and “humanitarian” programs that empower Hamas, the West has only deepened the suffering while condemning Israel for defending itself.
A U.S.-led initiative to reclaim Gaza, transform it into a Freedom Zone, and rid it of Iran’s influence would be a geopolitical game-changer—and a moral correction long overdue.
As Trump put it: “I don’t understand why Israel ever gave up Gaza.” Most Israelis don’t either. It’s time the world stopped pretending that retreat brings peace and started working with Israel to ensure that terror never rules again.
