President Trump's Middle East policy took a dark turn on Saturday when he announced on Air Force One that he favored the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians from Gaza. "You’re talking about a million and a half people, and we just clean out that whole thing," Trump said.

Trump was not just floating a theoretical policy. His administration is already taking steps to try to remove more Palestinians from the area. Trump said he spoke with King Abdullah II of Jordan, a country that has already taken in nearly 2.4 million Palestinian refugees, "to take on more." He indicated he would press Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi to take in Palestinians currently living in Gaza in a call on Sunday.

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What are the motivations and origins of Trump's radical new policy? Follow the money.

Trump discussed his vision for Gaza on January 20, his first day in the office, suggesting Gaza could be an ideal site for real estate development. "You know, Gaza is interesting. It's a phenomenal location. On the sea, the best weather, you know, everything's good," Trump said while signing executive orders in the Oval Office. "It's like some beautiful things could be done with it, but it's very interesting. But some fantastic things could be done with Gaza." Trump said that Gaza has "really got to be rebuilt in a different way" and that he "might" be interested in helping.

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