"I was reminded of that Monday as I watched a similar scene unfold in Israel's Knesset as President Donald Trump basked in acclaim for his success in forging the ceasefire and prisoner exchange ending the brutal two-year Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza. This week, against all odds, we have done the impossible, the triumphant president declared, noting the region's history of wars and calling the pact he brokered the historic dawn of a new Middle East."
"Misplaced optimism But those expectations were not realized. Other Arab nations rejected the agreement, and Israel's problems dealing with the large Palestinian population in its West Bank, created continuing problems. Similarly, the creation of a multi-national board to manage reconstruction of Gaza to be chaired by Trump won't solve the more pressing problems of housing its 2 million homeless people, demilitarizing Gaza and integrating the enclave's surviving Hamas leadership with the more moderate Palestinian Authority on the West Bank."
A high-profile celebration in Israel's Knesset followed the ceasefire and prisoner exchange brokered by President Donald Trump, who declared the pact a historic dawn for the Middle East and urged Arab leaders to expand normalization. The episode echoes the 1978 Camp David accords, where early optimism failed to resolve deeper regional problems. A proposed multinational board to manage Gaza reconstruction will not by itself fix urgent issues: housing for two million homeless people, demilitarization, and integrating surviving Hamas leadership with the Palestinian Authority. Follow-up international meetings aim to set procedures, but past outcomes warn that political rejection and governance gaps can undermine lasting peace.
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