The people of Gaza are among the most radicalized populations on earth. For decades, they’ve elected and supported Hamas, a terror organization dedicated to Israel’s destruction. They’ve celebrated the murder of Jewish children. They’ve built a society based on jihad rather than peace. And so, as Israel systematically works to eliminate Hamas, the question looms: what should be done with Gaza’s 2.1 million residents once the fighting ends?
President Trump has proposed a controversial solution, what he described as “out-of-the-box thinking”: remove the Gazan population entirely. This past February, Trump suggested resettling Gazans in neighboring Arab countries and beyond, with America helping clear the ruins and develop the area. The media predictably howled with outrage. Critics claim it’s immoral to forcibly transfer an entire population from their land, that it violates international law and human rights. Arab states issued rejections, with Egypt and Jordan refusing to accept even a single Gazan within their borders.
Is President Trump’s plan to banish Gazans from Gaza too extreme? Is there precedent for such a move?
This biblical passage presents a stark contrast to how Abraham later handled the sons of Keturah:
Why did Sarah demand—and God approve—the banishment of Ishmael and Hagar from their household? Wasn’t this an extreme reaction? Why didn’t Abraham simply send Ishmael away with gifts, as he later did with the sons of Keturah?
Rabbi Moshe Zvi Neria explains that Abraham had to handle Ishmael differently. The sons of Keturah never challenged Isaac’s status as Abraham’s rightful heir, so Abraham could simply “send them away” with gifts. But Ishmael fundamentally threatened Isaac’s position and inheritance. As the Bible tells us, Ishmael would become “a wild man, his hand against everyone and everyone’s hand against him” – representing a nation with values completely opposed to Abraham’s household. For this reason, complete banishment was necessary, not just polite separation.
For the same reason, Abraham actively banished his nephew Lot. Though they were family, Lot rejected Abraham’s moral leadership. When conflict arose between their herdsmen, Abraham didn’t seek compromise but demanded Lot’s departure, saying, “Please separate from me” (Genesis 13:9). Abraham didn’t just create distance—he explicitly sent Lot away to the Jordan Valley. Even later, after Abraham rescued Lot from captivity, he maintained this banishment. As Rashi notes, Abraham “journeyed from there to the land of the Negev” specifically “to distance himself from Lot.” Abraham understood that people with corrupt values are a perpetual danger and must be actively sent away, not just kept at arm’s length.
God commanded Abraham to banish Ishmael, and today we must banish the Gazans for the same reason. Just as Ishmael refused to accept Isaac as Abraham’s true heir, today’s Gazans—Ishmael’s descendants—reject Israel’s right to exist. This constitutes an existential threat to the Jewish state. The October 7 massacre wasn’t an isolated incident but the fullest expression of values fundamentally opposed to civilization itself. God didn’t tell Abraham to compromise with Ishmael or find middle ground; He ordered complete banishment. The same solution applies to Gaza: Hamas and its supporters must be completely expelled from the land.
The Muslims, the descendants of Ishmael, have successfully duped millions worldwide into believing Israel is the evil aggressor while Hamas and the “poor Gazans” are innocent victims. They’ve brought moral confusion to America, corrupting a generation of young people through their infiltration of universities and institutions. In this environment, Israel and America must make an unambiguous declaration: the land of Israel belongs exclusively to the people of Israel. Terror-supporting Muslims have no place in the Holy Land—and they must be banished!
Banishing the people of Gaza—one of the most radicalized populations in modern history—will send a powerful moral message to the rest of the world and to the 1.9 billion Muslims around the world: if you declare war on America and Israel, if you seek to destroy Judeo-Christian civilization, you will face dire consequences. Only moral clarity and decisively banishing Gazans will communicate the message that must be delivered to the Muslim world.
But if, God forbid, America and Israel lose their resolve and agree to rebuild Gaza as it was before, allowing the Gazans to remain, October 7th will be repeated endlessly. This superficially more “merciful” approach will encourage, rather than diminish, future terrorism.
The same principle applies within America itself. The Trump administration must remain strong and continue deporting anti-American, pro-terror Muslims who seek to destroy the United States. These people do not deserve the protection of Democratic politicians. They must be banished from the land – not only to prevent them from causing further damage, but to send a message to all the aspiring extremists who seek America’s downfall. If not, their influence and strength will only grow.
To be clear, I am speaking of those who actively seek Israel and America’s destruction and have no place in our society. Loyal citizens— Muslims who accept Israel as a Jewish state or are patriotic Americans—are valued members of our national family. Personally, I believe we can and must hold these two beliefs all at once. We must be uncompromisingly harsh and expel those who wish to destroy Israel and America and wish to murder Jews and Chrsitians. Sadly, the significant majority of the Arab population in Gaza fall into this category. At the same time, we must embrace those Muslims who are loyal citizens.
Now is not the time for sending Gazans away with “gifts.” Now is the time for strength and fortitude. Now is the time to banish the Gazans forever—and make Gaza Jewish again.
