Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece. This piece does not reflect the opinion or views of The Pace Press.
On Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025, an incredibly dark and provocative AI-generated video depicting a “transformed” Gaza Strip went viral, and–surprise, surprise–President Donald Trump reposted the video. Undeniably, a propaganda tactic, the AI video turns a region destroyed by war into a luxury resort adorned with Trump’s name and his face plastered everywhere.
The video opens with children, families and armed men walking through the rubble, then entering a stylized “Riviera” with expensive developments, beach resorts and a golden Trump statue. There are clips of Elon Musk, “Trump Gaza” hotels, bearded belly dancers, flying money and day clubs. An especially shocking clip shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump laughing and drinking while lounging by the poolside.
The video first surfaced on the Trump-owned, far-right platform Truth Social before Trump and his team posted it on LinkedIn, X and Instagram without any commentary. The post came after Trump proposed the idea to displace Palestinians further and place Gaza under U.S. control. According to the BBC, Trump stated, “The US will take over the Gaza Strip, and we will do a job with it too.” He also said, “This could be the Riviera of the Middle East.”
After the AI video went viral, its creators—Solo Avital and his business partner Ariel Vromen–felt it necessary to explain why they made it. Avital explained that it was made in under eight hours using AI programs as part of a satirical experiment. The creators soon realized how dangerous uploading the controversial video was, so they immediately took it down. However, it was too late, as it had already spread like wildfire.
Amidst all that’s going on, this AI video is difficult to reconcile and is deeply unsettling, as it evokes very visceral, enigmatic emotions. While it is an AI-manipulated fantasy that trivializes the suffering of Palestinians, it’s also a performative and simple strategy that has become a signature of the Trump administration. For Trump, it became a pawn in his own twisted way of conveying messages. Creating madness and chaos through the media is the way Trump gets reactions, so this move falls directly under his domain. The question remains: how much more can the masses endure until their efforts become diluted in the absurdity and manipulation of it all? A profound disconnect from reality has crystalized, and it’s fearful to watch this unfold. It’s also a video that ridicules the office of the presidency and the president himself. As the President of the United States, conveying a message like this is beneath both the stature and the dignity of such a position.
The video was immediately condemned by Palestinians. To depict a forcibly displaced population’s homeland as a vacation destination is insulting as it makes a mockery of their suffering and loss. Apart from the blatant insensitivity, this video portrays a dismissive and childish attitude to such a serious conflict. The video makes no effort to propose a solution to the conflict; instead, it’s another attempt to glorify and elevate the powerful political figures at the expense of an entire people’s torment. These political figures are positioned as the “masterminds” of this transformation, even though their actions directly contribute to the destruction. It’s a platform for self-aggrandizement, and it continues to prioritize the absurd and embarrass us all.
