Revealed: Trump Associate's Private Jet Utilized by ICE for Palestinian Deportations to West Bank

United States - Ekhbary News Agency

Revealed: Trump Associate's Private Jet Utilized by ICE for Palestinian Deportations to West Bank

An exclusive investigation has brought to light a controversial and politically sensitive operation involving the use of a luxury private jet, owned by Florida property tycoon Gil Dezer, to deport Palestinian men from the United States to the Israeli-occupied West Bank. Dezer, a long-time business partner and donor to Donald Trump, and a friend of Donald Trump Jr., has confirmed his Gulfstream jet has been utilized in these flights, which have drawn sharp criticism from immigration lawyers and former US officials.

The flights, operated by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), represent a significant shift in deportation policy, particularly concerning the expulsion of Palestinian nationals. According to reports and testimonies from those deported, the aircraft has been used on at least two occasions to transport Palestinian men from a removal center in Arizona to Tel Aviv, Israel. From there, the individuals have been taken to West Bank checkpoints, often left disoriented and with minimal belongings.

One documented instance occurred on the morning of January 21st. Eight Palestinian men, having spent hours shackled on the plush leather seats of Dezer’s aircraft, were eventually left at a West Bank checkpoint by Israeli authorities. Dressed in prison-issued tracksuits and carrying their few possessions in plastic bags, the men described feeling disoriented and cold as they were released into unfamiliar territory. The journey for these individuals involved multiple refueling stops in New Jersey, Ireland, and Bulgaria, underscoring the extensive nature of the operation.

Maher Awad, a 24-year-old originally from the West Bank who had resided in the US for nearly a decade, was among those deported on the January flight. Speaking to The Guardian from the town of Rammun, Awad shared poignant details of his experience, including photographs of his girlfriend and newborn son in Michigan. His sentiment, "I grew up in America. America was heaven for me," encapsulates the profound sense of displacement and loss experienced by those subjected to these deportations.

Awad's account is corroborated by other individuals identified by The Guardian and the Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine, who were aboard the same or subsequent flights. The second documented use of Dezer's 16-passenger luxury jet occurred just this past Monday, transporting another group of Palestinian deportees. These individuals also landed at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport and were reportedly taken to the West Bank.

The involvement of Israel in facilitating these deportations to the occupied territory marks a notable departure from previous policies. Former US officials and immigration lawyers have linked these flights to the aggressive mass deportation campaigns championed by the Trump administration. The operation’s secrecy and the sensitive nature of deporting individuals to a politically contested region have amplified concerns about due process and human rights.

A photograph published by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which initially reported on the January flight, depicts the deportees being met by Israeli security personnel upon arrival at Ben Gurion airport. According to Awad, armed guards then escorted them to a checkpoint near the West Bank village of Ni’lin. "They dropped us off like animals on the side of the road," Awad recounted, describing the harrowing experience of seeking assistance from local residents.

Mohammad Kanaan, a university professor whose home is near the checkpoint, recalled the moment Awad and the other men appeared. Kanaan, who provided shelter and aid to the group, expressed his shock. "The Israeli army usually doesn’t release prisoners at this checkpoint," he noted. "They stayed at my place for only two hours. During that time, we fed them. They called their families who either came to pick them up or arranged transportation for them." Kanaan also highlighted the emotional toll on the families, many of whom had considered their loved ones missing due to the lack of contact.

The private jet in question, a sleek Gulfstream identified as "my little rocket ship" by its owner, bears the distinctive logo of Dezer Development, a real estate company founded by Israeli-American developer Michael Dezer and now managed by his son, Gil Dezer. The company's prominent branding on the aircraft used for these sensitive deportations has drawn further attention to the intertwining of business interests and US immigration policy.

This revelation raises critical questions about the transparency and legality of such deportation practices. The use of private assets for government-sanctioned deportations, particularly to disputed territories, introduces complex ethical and political dimensions. As investigations continue, the full scope of this secretive operation and its implications for international relations and human rights are likely to unfold.

Ekhbary News Agency