LOS ANGELES (OC).–Meeting triumphantly, at the Israeli Knesset in Jerusalem and in Sharm el-Sheikh, Sinai Peninsula, President Donald Trump delivered speeches in both places, declaring the Gaza war with Hamas over as all 20-living Israeli hostages were returned to Israel. Trump looked on as Israelis celebrated all over the country the return of the hostages seized Oct. 7, 2023, the day Hamas massacred 1,200 Israelis, taking another 251 hostage. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanayu and Hamas leadership were not present at the Sharm El-Shekih signing ceremony where some 20 heads of state, including Palestine Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and former Prime Minister Tony Blair and leaders from Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, UAE and Turkey all witnessed the historic signing ceremony.
Speaking at Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump tried to make light of the occasion many years in the making. “This took 3,000 years to get to the this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up too. It’s going to help up,” while at a signing ceremony. No one knows yet the exact nature of the document, what it says and expect both sides to do. “This is the day that people across the region and around the world have been working, striving, hope and praying for. They have done things over the last month that I think were really unthinkable. Nobody thought this could happen. With the historic agreement we have just signed, those prayers of millions finally answered,” Trump said. All leaders were struck by the gravity of the situation, realizing the Mideast could finally turn the page. Peace in the Middle East is what everyone wants, including Israel’s past enemies.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu didn’t attend the Sharm El-Sheikh ceremony, citing commitment due to the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah, celebrating the new cycle reading the Torah. Whether that the real reason why Netanyahu didn’t attend is anyone’s guess. He was known to stop the Gaza War reluctantly, not sure Hamas had finally given up, ready to move on and leave the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu knows Hamas can no longer rule Gaza if the seaside colony can start its costly and lengthy rebuild. Netanyahu, always the skeptic, wasn’t certain that Hamas would comply with the agreement, returning all hostages and corpses, but, more importantly, leaving the Gaza Strip for good. Trump made sure in his Sharm El-Sheikh remarks to extend an olive branch to Iran, who, by funding Hamas as a proxy militia, caused more chaos than other country.
Iran fought a brutal 12-day war with Israel, ending up have its military degraded, destroying its nuclear enrichment program. Before the war, Iran was considered the wildcard in the Middle East, no one knew that it was a paper tiger, unable to defend itself. Trump joined the fight sending in B-2 Stealth bombers to drop bunker buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. When the dust settled, it was a flawless mission, with the U.S. assisting Israel in degrading Iran’s nuclear program. Now Trump wants to extend a personal peace overture to Iran’s 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Since the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas massacre, Iran has lost its two most powerful proxy groups, Hamas and Hezbollah. Netanyahu fought a relentless war against both groups, not letting up until they were no longer a threat to Israel. Much on Hamas and Hezbollah’s leadership have been vaporized sover that last two years.
Netanyahu has been under worldwide pressure to end the war because of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, with Hamas claiming there’s a famine in the seaside colony. Hamas has accused Israel of genocide prosecuting its war to get the terrorist group out of Gaza. Arab officials and the EU has been late in demanding, only recently, that Hamas leave the Gaza Strip. Trump sees the historic opportunity for the Gaza Strip to be rebuilt in a way it’s never seen before with Hamas looting the Gaza treasury for its own gains and building its military tunnels for its one day fantasy of conquering the Jewish state. Hamas still insists it will push Israel into the sea, a frequent refrain from anti-Semites looking to destroy Israel. If the latest Gaza and Hezbollah wars say anything, it’s that Israel isn’t going anywhere, capable of matching any army on the planet.
Trump walks away from the Gaza ceasefire with renewed global credibility, despite all the denigration by Democrats and the fake news. Trump receives no credit where it’s clearly deserved, especially pulling off the latest peace deal with Hamas. Hamas can save face knowing they exchanged only 20 living hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners, many of whome committed acts of terrorism. Netanyahu knows that anything could change dealing with Hamas. But for the moment he has to take Trump’s optimism that the current deal will stick and Hamas will finally leave the Gaza Strip, letting a new Palestinian government lead in the future. Trump was statesman-like when he offered Iran an olive branch, knowing that they’ve taken a beating in war and with economic sanctions. It’s up to the Ayatollah to take Trump up on his recent overture.
About the Author
John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news. He’s editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.
