Arabs and Muslims in the United States and abroad are criticizing a controversial video posted by President Trump on social media.
The apparently AI-generated video includes depictions of Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sunbathing in Gaza, and imagines scenes of destruction in Gaza transformed into a glitzy Riviera-style resort called “TRUMP GAZA.”
The video also shows children running out of the rubble into a world of palm trees and luxury buildings, and a towering golden statue of Trump. It depicts men in apparent drag dancing in bikinis on the beach, Trump enjoying a belly dancer and a man resembling Elon Musk being showered with cash in the form of U.S. currency.
The post comes weeks after Trump suggested the U.S. should take over the Gaza Strip and relocate Palestinians.
In Gaza, many residents have little to no internet service, but some who viewed the video expressed anger to NPR Gaza producer Anas Baba. Baba showed the video to 20-year-old Mohamed Abdelrahman who rejected the idea.
“We won’t be lured by a few statues and money, leave us alone and let us rebuild our homes by ourselves,” he told Baba.
Faye Nemer, CEO and founder of the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) American Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn, Mich., called the video “offensive and counterproductive to peace talks” in a statement to NPR.
Nemer, who says she voted for Trump in November, is calling on him to remove the video and issue a “reconciliatory statement.”
When asked about the video and the president’s messaging about Gaza, the White House reinforced his previous statements.
“As President Trump has said, Gaza in its current state is [uninhabitable] for any human being,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in the statement to NPR.
“President Trump is a visionary, and his plan to have the United States involved in Gaza’s rebuilding will allow for Palestinians to resettle in new, beautiful communities while improving conditions in the region for generations to come,” she added.
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