Egyptians furious over Trump's Gaza plan, downplay aid threat

Egyptians reacted with fury on Tuesday to US President Donald Trump's plan to displace Palestinians from Gaza to Egypt and Jordan, while downplaying his threat to cut aid to both countries if they refuse.

The state-owned Al-Ahram newspaper ran a front-page headline declaring "Egypt urges the world to end historical injustice against the Palestinian people", while the private daily Al-Masry Al-Youm wrote, "Palestinian anger: Gaza is not for sale".

On X, the hashtag "on the shoe" -- a common Egyptian phrase meaning "we could not care less" -- began to trend in response to what many saw as an attempt at intimidation.

The phrase can be traced back to a historic speech by late president Gamal Abdel Nasser, who dismissed US aid threats during Egypt's wars with Israel.

Egypt rejects displacement plan

On Monday, a strongly worded statement from Egypt's foreign ministry rejected "any compromise" that could infringe on Palestinians' rights, including to remain on their land.

The statement followed a meeting in Washington between Egypt's foreign minister Badr Abdelatty and his US counterpart Marco Rubio.

During a phone call with the Danish prime minister on Tuesday, President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said that the establishment of a Palestinian state is "the only guarantee for achieving lasting peace" in the region.

The Egyptian leader also called for the reconstruction of Gaza "without displacing" its residents, according to a statement from his office.

Palestinians take shelter amidst the rubble of their destroyed house, on a rainy day, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Jabalia refugee camp in the northern Gaza Strip February 11, 2025.Reuters

Trump, speaking on Monday, said the United States could "conceivably" halt assistance to Egypt and Jordan unless they agree to take in Palestinians from Gaza -- a proposal Cairo and Amman have repeatedly rejected.

The US provides its regional ally Egypt with around $1.3 billion in military aid annually, making it one of the country's largest foreign donors.

According to US government data, Egypt received roughly $1.5 billion in both military and economic assistance from the United States last year.

Aid threats deemed ineffective

Hussein Haridi, a former diplomat and assistant foreign minister, downplayed the significance of US aid, arguing that it would not sway Egypt's position on Gaza.

"This small amount (about $200 million) in economic aid will not affect the Egyptian economy," Haridi told AFP.

"Regardless of its impact, we will not bow to Trump's threats," he said.

Haridi also said that Trump had little understanding of "the true character of Egyptians" and the country's historical role in defending Arab interests and in particular the Palestinian cause.

"We do not care about Trump's threats. Egypt is fully prepared to confront them and these threats will backfire on US interests in the region."

"This is not just Sisi's stance or the Egyptian government's stance -- it is the stance of the Egyptian people," he added.

Gamal Bayoumi, a former diplomat and assistant foreign minister, meanwhile, told AFP that Egypt has made its stance clear: any attempt to force Palestinians out of Gaza "will be considered an act of war".

Bayoumi added that Egypt was well prepared for any measures Washington might take, including a potential halt to financial assistance.

Public rallies behind govt position

Among ordinary Egyptians, the Trump plan provoked outrage.

"After bombing and killing them, they now want to displace them?" said Samir Gomaa, a 71-year-old garage owner in Cairo.

"This is Palestinian land. Who in their right mind sells land that isn't theirs and turns it into a tourist project?," Gomaa told AFP.

Despite Egypt's economic struggles, including soaring inflation and mounting debt, many citizens expressed support for Sisi's stance.

"Our president is a hero for saying no, even though we're struggling with inflation," said Mohamed Abdel Tawab, 53, a paper trader.

Egyptians protest against the U.S. President Donald Trump's proposal for Egypt and Jordan to host over a million Palestinians from Gaza, at a gate at the Rafah border crossing, amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, in Rafah, Egypt, January 31, 2025.Reuters

"The Arab world will rebuild Gaza and Egypt will stand firm," he said.

Since early in the Gaza war, which began in October 2023, officials and lawmakers in Egypt have repeatedly warned against any attempts to alter the region's demographics, seeing it as a national security threat.