A member of the US Democratic Party Al Green said in the House of Representatives on Wednesday that he intends to initiate impeachment of the American leader Donald Trump because of his proposal to take over the Gaza Strip. According to him, such a plan is tantamount to ethnic cleansing, it is a despicable act.
“Injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the US”
Green said:
“Ethnic cleansing in Gaza is not a joke, especially when it emanates from the president of the United States, the most powerful person in the world. And the prime minister of Israel should be ashamed, knowing the history of his people, to stand there and allow such things to be said.”
The congressman cited the late civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. saying the latter was right in saying that injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere:
“Injustice in Gaza is a threat to justice in the United States of America. I announce that the movement to impeach the president has begun. I am announcing that I will move to impeach the president for the despicable acts that have been proposed and committed.”
Green also noted that he will do so when citizens demand it. In doing so, the movement for impeachment will be massive. He added that he stands alone on this issue now, but he stands for justice. According to him, it is better that way than not standing at all.
Many US officials regard the Trump administration’s actions to improve the efficiency of the state as a power grab and call it a coup d’état. Green tried to declare impeachment of Trump also during his first term, but then the president was twice acquitted in the Senate.
According to POLITICO, impeachment itself is not the goal of the Green faction. In addition, Republicans have a preponderance in both chambers of Congress, meaning it’s likely that a majority will not vote to remove Trump from power.
Trump will subjugate Gaza
On February 4, Trump said that the US could take control of the Gaza Strip. The New York Times reports that such a proposal shocked even the president’s supporters. According to the publication, his administration has not made the necessary preliminary calculations to consider how feasible such an idea is. Moreover, it is usually first discussed in meetings with the State Department or the Defence Ministry before being announced publicly.
Netanyahu was allegedly surprised by the suggestion as well. Saudi Arabia, a key US ally, has already spoken out against it. Trump is also pushing for Jordan and Egypt to take in Gaza settlers, as the territory is allegedly uninhabitable.
Americans protest against the new president
On February 5, protests took place in many US cities. People took to the streets with placards denouncing Trump to express their opposition to his policies, ranging from curtailing transgender rights to proposing to forcibly relocate Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
Protesters believe that if nothing is done now, there will be an “attack on democracy.” Demonstrators were also outraged by the actions of billionaire Elon Musk, who now heads the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). They are particularly concerned that Musk allegedly gained access to Treasury Department data, although this has already been partially denied.
According to The Washington Post, Maryland has already blocked indefinitely Trump’s executive order limiting the granting of American citizenship by birthright (before the order of the new US president, any child born in the country received American citizenship, even if the parents are there illegally). This decree contradicts the text of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution, so it was considered legally illegitimate. It will be blocked while it is in court or until a higher court overturns it. The blocking extends throughout the US.
Panama-US relations
Panama has cancelled fees for US ships passing through the Panama Canal, the State Department said on social media X.
“United States government vessels can now pass through the Panama Canal without any fees, saving the US government millions of dollars a year,” the post said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino on February 2. Panama will not renew its memorandum of understanding with China on the One Belt, One Road initiative, Mulino said after talks with Rubio. Trump has refused to maintain the status quo regarding the canal because of China’s increased influence over the region, the State Department chief explained.
Trump complained about the “ridiculously high tariffs” for the passage of US ships through the Panama Canal and threatened to return it to US control. Every metre of the canal belongs to Panama, Mulino said in response to the US president’s threats.
In his inaugural speech, the American leader called the decision to give away the Panama Canal a mistake. According to him, American ships are now overpaying for passage through it, including naval vessels. The canal is actually managed by China, Trump is convinced. “And we didn’t give it to China, we gave it to Panama. And we’re taking it back,” he emphasised.
The Panama Canal Authority publicly denied information from the US State Department about the cancellation of transit fees for US government ships, stressing that there were no changes in tariffs.
Meanwhile, in a statement published on social network X, Panama Canal representatives emphasised that no adjustments were made to the established transit fees.
