A shift in Trump’s position on the “Arab plan” … and Cairo is optimistic with caution

There are several indicators of a remarkable shift in the position of US President Donald Trump on the Egyptian -Arab plan approved by Arab leaders during their last summit in Cairo, on March 4. This positive shift comes days after the United States and Israel rejected the plan aimed at rebuilding the Gaza Strip without the displacement of its residents, and reaching permanent peace in the Middle East.

Among the most prominent of these indicators is a brief statement by President Trump, on Wednesday, in which he said: “No one will expel any Palestinian from Gaza“.

Reporter: What about the Presentent’s Plan to Expel Palestinians Out of Gaza?

Trump: noobody is expelling any palestinians. Who are you with?

Reporter: I’m with voice of America, sir.

Trump: OH, No Wonder. pic.twitter.com/sfosokdnv6

Aaron RuPar (@atrupar) March 12, 2025

According to diplomatic and political sources, to which “Al -Nahar” spoke, Cairo is optimistic about the statements and signs issued by Washington, recently, but its optimism is cautious.

Cairo praised the statement, and called for “building on this positive trend to advance the efforts to bring peace in the Middle East, by adopting a comprehensive path based on a clear vision that achieves stability and security for all parties“.

Likewise, the conversation that took place between the Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel -Ati and the American envoy to the Middle East Stephen Witkev, on Wednesday evening, on the sidelines of the meeting of the Arab Foreign Ministers in Doha, including hints that reveal Washington’s flexibility and openness to more consultations on the Egyptian -Arab plan.

Headed positions
The Undersecretary of the Foreign Relations Committee in the House of Representatives agrees with the coordination of the youth of parties and politicians, Tariq Al -Khouli, with the opinion that there is a state of American openness to the Arab plan. He tells Al -Nahar that “the recent statements reflect positions that may be different from what has been presented during the last period“.

In February, Trump suggested that the Palestinian sector’s residents be displaced into Egypt and Jordan, and transferred it to “Rvira, the Middle East“.

Al -Khouli suggests that this transformation may be a product of the movements that took place in the Arab and Islamic summits, as well as the Egyptian -Qatari consultations with the United States and other actors.

The Egyptian parliamentarian warns that despite these positive indicators that exclude the forced displacement of the inhabitants of Gaza, the endeavors made by parties inside Israel must be taken into account the voluntary displacement of the Strip residents, by making it insecure.

Al -Khouli believes that dealing wisely with this file, respecting international and humanitarian covenants and norms, and recognizing the right of the Palestinian people to life on their land, and that there is a real path that leads to the establishment of a Palestinian state, which will contribute to ending the ongoing conflict in the Middle East for decades.

Rational
A member of the advisory body of the Egyptian Council for Thought and Strategic Studies, Dr. Noha Bakr, to Al -Nahar, that “the official, steadfast and popular Arab position, as well as support by a number of European countries that reject forced displacement led to Trump’s decline, to prevent the loss of US allies in the region.“.

“The Arab plan came to submit a proposal to be built, and a path to negotiate to reach an acceptable situation from all parties. So Trump’s statements can be considered an attempt to reformulate his political speech to be more balanced, which creates a space for the plan that may restore the American interaction with the Palestinian issue more rational.”

Balance and influence
For its part, American political analyst Irina Tsukmanman believes that “this shift seems to be a strategic attempt to reset American policy in the region in line with international standards and alleviate previous criticisms“.

But during her talk to Al -Nahar, she says: “Nevertheless, given the complexity of the conflict between Israel and enthusiasm and its root, the effectiveness of such statements will ultimately depend on its translation into concrete policies and procedures that address multiple concerns of all parties concerned.“.

She notes that “Trump’s recent movements reflect an attempt to restore the balance between Israel’s support and improve relations with Arab countries, while preserving American influence in the region“.

Tsukarmann expresses its belief that “if this strategy succeeds, it may enhance the position of the United States as a major player in managing regional challenges in the coming years“.