Peace deal is copy of prior plan

Since Israel and Hamas agreed to implement Phase 1 of the 20-point Gaza peace plan, praise, plaudits and panegyrics have poured into print on the supposed masterful accomplishment of President Trump in concluding the war. In nearly universally hailing the president for his efforts in brokering a cease-fire and release of the remaining hostages, however, a significant portion of the media — including many of his critics — have decontextualized and rewritten recent history.

After months of grinding diplomacy in Doha (Qatar) and elsewhere, President Biden and former Secretary of State Antony Blinken successfully achieved a cease-fire and a significant hostage-release within a broader peace agreement a few days prior to the end of the Biden presidency. When asked by a reporter if “the deal [would] hold” one day before leaving office, President Biden succinctly replied “I’m confident.” That confidence, however, would be utterly shattered by the incoming administration.

Over the following weeks, President Trump not only squandered the hard-won peace but he also effectively endorsed the Israeli campaign of annihilation in Gaza by suggesting the possibility of expelling Palestinians from Gaza and posted a disturbingly callous video of Gaza as a future Trump resort. Thereafter, months of needless, horrific and unrestrained Israeli violence ensued — all tacitly approved by The White House.

While President Trump deserves some credit for the new diplomatic breakthrough, his team has essentially only recovered the lost cease-fire and completed the first phase of the plan and process outlined by his predecessor in January.

What does the future now hold for The Middle East? One fact seems certain based upon history. Until the United States concretely supports the creation of a sovereign Palestinian state in accordance with international law and human rights, peace will remain elusive.

Jeff Roquen

Palatine