Peace in Gaza May Now, Unfortunately, Come Down to Trump

"Some thought, especially in retrospect, that Ross immersed himself too deeply in micromanaging peace, that his approach tended to infantilize the region's players and made them too dependent on outside powers. But the region was a tinderbox, and one of Ross' jobs was to put out fires the instant someone lit a match, because fires in the Middle East can spread far if the flames aren't doused quickly."

"The point is this: President Donald Trump helped craft a ceasefire in Gaza, in part by pressuring Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by persuading Sunni Arab leaders to pressure the leaders of Hamas. But the accord they signed last month was merely Phase 1 of a larger peace proposal, covering just the first few planks of a 20-point plan that Trump had placed on the table. If there is ever to be a Phase 2, Phase 3, and beyond, Phase 1-the ceasefire-must hold."

"And for that to happen, the pressure from outside powers must persist. It's probably asking too much for some American to mediate every fracas at a checkpoint from the other side of the planet, but an American has to remain engaged over the long haul. Given Arab-Israeli politics at the moment, that American must be President Trump. That was the judgment of four veteran correspondents withthe Israeli newspaper Haaretz speaking on a subscribers' webinar last week, and they're probably right."

Dennis Ross, as Middle East envoy in the late 1980s to mid-'90s, intervened directly to defuse local clashes, sometimes receiving calls from Israeli security at Palestinian checkpoints. Some observers concluded Ross micromanaged peace, which could infantilize regional actors and create dependence on outside powers. The region remained volatile, making rapid intervention important to prevent wider conflagrations. President Donald Trump helped craft a Gaza ceasefire by pressuring Israeli leaders and persuading Sunni Arab states to pressure Hamas. That ceasefire represents only Phase 1 of a 20-point plan, and its durability depends on continued external pressure and long-term U.S. engagement, with Trump seen as the most effective American lever now.

Read at Slate Magazine