By Isle of Wight Observer
It may have attracted a little ridicule, but I thought Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza was genius.
Unlike Kier Starmer, The Donald seems to have hit the ground running. Trump offers hope; Britain’s got a dope. It almost seems as if Trump is back hosting ‘The Apprentice’ or ‘Dragon’s Den,’ not running the USA.
True, he’d need to persuade 2 million Palestinians to move or not return, then there’s the small matter of shifting over 500 million tons of rubble.
Historically, when America interferes in the Middle East, it hasn’t ended well. Still, we must admire his optimism. What’s wrong with visualising a long line of Trump hotels, casinos, condos and golf resorts stretching along the Palestinian seashore? What a wonderful world it would be if those fabulous new facilities were enjoyed by nattily dressed Arabs and Jewish people, living in harmony.
Donald Trump is a visionary businessman; I love his idea of building the ‘Riviera of the Middle East’. If he really can build a luxury resort
from ruins, the IW Council should give him Sandown.
Creating something from nothing worked really well in Dubai and Las Vegas. Both are world class resorts enjoyed by millions. Thousands of workers built them while others have sustainable employment.
Many Europeans already enjoy holidays in land-locked Egypt, despite the 2015 terror incident. I’ve friends who take holidays in Sharm El Sheikh, although without notice,16,000 Brits were stranded there and needed rescuing. Back then, our government said the airport “fell well below accepted security standards”. One pal and her mum were trapped in Sharm for a stressful week.
I recall looking on the map, to see if I could offer any practical help. I soon realised it’s the last place on earth you’d want to be if the airport is closed. There’s really no other way out – unless you have camels, and we Islanders, dependent on ferries, know exactly how that feels don’t we?
Thankfully the flight ban was soon lifted and tourism successfully resumed.
I’ve never really fancied what I think of as a ‘compound holiday’ myself. I once visited South Africa. In Durban and Cape Town, we were always behind high walls topped with electric fencing. Locals insisted they were only there to keep wildlife away, but I had my doubts. We were certainly advised never to travel alone on the train, even mid- afternoon. I found that most dispiriting. If you can’t live peacefully side by side with your neighbour, something is plainly very wrong. Dining out in South Africa, the restaurant concierge asked if we had any weapons. While you eat,
they invite you to hand them over for safekeeping.
It’s a stunningly beautiful country, but what an awful way to live.
I felt safe in India, but not always in New York.
Late afternoon, my sister Liz and I found ourselves wandering in Battery Park, Lower Manhattan. We were innocently trying to catch a glimpse of the Statue of Liberty at sunset, when we noticed a gang of feral youths. They started moving our way and there was no-one else around.
We hurried to the nearest exit – thankfully giving them the slip.
A friend just returned from cruising the Caribbean. She said that in many places, tourists are only safe if they remain in the resort areas. She was further advised that most of Jamaica is downright dangerous.
That’s a real shame, because I’d love to go there.
Sadly, given further thought, Trump’s ‘Gaz America’ idea isn’t such a good one.
If this really was Dragon’s Den, I might conclude, ‘I’m sorry Donald, they’ll never live in peace. It’s a ridiculous fantasy, so I won’t be investing, and I’m out.’