Donald Trump stood next to Benjamin Netanyahu as they delivered their much-discussed peace deal in the Palestinian Authority. Hamas was given 72 hours to accept, but as the clock ticks the Israeli PM has already thwarted any slim hopes that Trump gave for a two-state solution.
Netanyahu is not well regarded in today’s geopolitics, to say the least. According to The Guardian, the casualties have hit more than 60,000 lives lost in Gaza since the war hit fever pitch in the aftermath, with further casualties continuing to follow. There are also credible reports of a famine, and the pressure is mounting on Netanyahu to work toward an ending to the two-year war. Contempt was at an all-time high in the recently concluded UN General Assembly when diplomats from all over the world walked out during his speech.
Trump has also had his fair share of differences with the Israeli PM, but he has always maintained that Netanyahu should be considered a close ally. Netanyahu has shared the same sentiments about Trump, even once saying that Trump deserves four Nobel Peace Prize awards. But with the latest proposed deal, it briefly appeared to be something the world could agree upon as offering much-needed peace in the region — an achievement that would far outweigh any award.
In Trump’s proposed plan, Hamas were to release all the Israeli victims still in captivity alongside the bodies of hostages who have since died. The plan consists of 20 points, which include wins for the Palestinian people, such as a commitment to not interfere with humanitarian aid going into Gaza and Israel’s agreement not to occupy the territory.
There were, however, also caveats for the Palestinians in the deal. Israel was reportedly only supposed to slightly withdraw their military, and the discussion of recognition of a Palestinian state was pushed to the backburner until after “an interfaith dialogue process.” This made the recognition of Palestine in Israel, although slim, still possible.
In the days since, however, and notably before Hamas had even agreed to the deal, Netanyahu himself thwarted that possibility. When asked if he supported a Palestinian state, Netanyahu said, “Absolutely not, and it is not written in the agreement either. But one thing we did say: we are firmly opposed to a Palestinian state. President Trump also said this; he said he understands our position. He also declared at the UN that such a move would be a huge reward for terror and a danger to the state of Israel. And of course, we will not agree to it.”
The short-lived Iran saga, where Trump continually called for a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, was the most recent example of Netanyahu foiling one of Trump’s peace deals. But this one in particular — the Gaza war — has been the conflict Trump has been aiming to finally end since his first day in office. He has been touting himself as the world leader who ends wars — whether that claim is true has long been up for debate. But ending the war in Gaza would be a true feat that nobody would be able to deny.
Whether Netanyahu will ever accept anything short of a total victory, however, remains to be seen.
