The only proper reaction to the return of Israeli hostages on Monday, along with the cessation of hostilities in a grueling two-year-old war between Israel and Hamas, is gratitude and joy.
This is a time for petty politics to take a long nap. Give President Donald Trump his due.
He orchestrated a 20-point peace plan that resulted in the return Monday of all living hostages who were so brutally kidnapped on Oct. 7, 2023. About 1,200 people were killed during attacks that day on a music festival and on people living on farms nearby. About 250 were taken hostage. Most were civilians.
Trump was able to convince Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to abandon his long-stated goal of completely destroying Hamas, an organization that had controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007 and had a stated goal of destroying Israel. He somehow managed to push through a peace deal despite Israel’s bombing of targets in Qatar, an act that almost unraveled the agreement.
The final deal also calls for Israel to release 250 Palestinian prisoners and another 1,700 Palestinian detainees.
We agree with the Washington Post editorial board, which said, “No other American president has managed the relationship with that difficult partner (Israel) more intuitively.”
The plan
Yes, Monday’s elation must eventually give way to the delicate details of the rest of the 20-point plan. The execution of that deal will be no small task. It requires immediate aid to the suffering people of the Gaza Strip; the restoration of basic utilities and services, including hospitals and bakeries; and the removal of rubble and the opening of roads.
Then, a temporary transitional non-political governance structure will be installed in Gaza and made responsible for municipal public services. Trump himself will head a “board of peace,” which will be charged with rebuilding Gaza and attracting investment. The president will create an economic development plan with grand designs.
Before that, the U.S., together with Arab and international partners, will form a temporary “international stabilization force” that will train and vet a Palestinian police force to keep the peace and secure borders. Hamas will lay down arms and relinquish any governing role. Israeli Defense Forces will withdraw gradually based on milestones and timelines worked out by all partners.
The agreement also calls for an interfaith dialogue “based on the values of tolerance and peaceful co-existence to try and change mindsets and narratives of Palestinians and Israelis by emphasizing the benefits that can be derived from peace.” The end goal is a self-governing Palestinian state that peacefully coexists with Israel.
These are lofty goals. The interfaith dialogue, if successful, could soften hearts and temper hostilities to a growing degree with each passing generation.
Difficult task ahead
We’re not naive, however. The two-year war has inflamed bitter feelings on both sides through tragedy and the destruction of property. But peace must begin with a first step, and Monday’s reunion of captives with loved ones on both sides, offers a promising start.
For now, we bask in the videos of the embraces, the tears of joy and the chants of thanks to an American president. We remember the standing ovation Trump received in the Knesset. We hope, along with him, that “this will be remembered as the moment that everything began to change.”
Most of all, we give thanks that the killing appears to have stopped and that hope is beginning to replace despair.
The Middle East remains a dangerous and difficult political neighborhood to navigate. Beyond that, Ukraine continues to bravely fight against a Russian incursion. Myriad other hot spots around the globe threaten world peace.
But for now, President Trump deserves credit for the beginning of what everyone should hope will be a lasting peace that eventually brings self-governance and statehood to the Gaza Strip.