Israel’s far right unveils its blueprint for emptying Gaza
Ben-Gvir’s
(Jewish Terrorist) party is demanding a new ministry dedicated to “voluntary migration.”
Those living amid the rubble say they will not leave.
The numbers are not modest.
The plan foresees the departure of about 250,000 people in the first year, 1.11 million within three years, and some 1.86 million within seven, encompassing the bulk of the Strip’s population.
To run it, Jewish Power wants the next government to create a dedicated ministry for
“voluntary migration,” complete with a minister, a director-general, its own budget, an international negotiating team, and an implementation apparatus.
A Zionist through-line
In 1937, David Ben-Gurion, then a leading Zionist figure, promoted the transfer of Palestinians and argued they should be moved to Transjordan. In the 1980s, the same
‘voluntary’ formula was championed by far-right politicians Rehavam Ze’evi – nicknamed ‘
Gandhi’– and Meir Kahane. Their schemes never left the drawing board.
Ben-Gvir now presents his version as newly realistic, citing earlier public backing from US President Donald Trump. Trump floated mass relocation from Gaza in early 2025, then walked the idea back under Arab and international pressure.
His later 20-point framework stated that no one would be forced to leave and that residents should be encouraged to stay. Ben-Gvir treats the first Trump remark as political cover and the second as an inconvenience.