The cease-fire deal between Israel and Hamas is meant to be a first step, and we donât know what happens next, or the promises that were made behind the scenes.
It is possible that President-elect Donald Trump and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have agreed on this move merely as a tactical prelude to a set of far-reaching measures that will yet transform the Middle East.
And, most importantly, the idea of dozens of Israelis â including toddlers â returning home after more than a year in purgatory is enough to dull even the most hawkish observerâs concerns.
Yet it is very hard to observe this deal and see it as anything other than an utter and complete disgrace â and an embarrassment for America.
First, and most devastating, Hamas remains in power. Greatly weakened, true, and hampered by increased Israeli military presence in Gaza, but able to claim ultimate victory.
Because a terror organization, as the old chestnut goes, wins just as long as it doesnât lose, and forcing Israel to cease fire, release terrorists, and succumb to a long list of demands in order to receive the rest of its hostages is a major victory for Hamas.
And not a symbolic one, at that: Mahmoud Abbas, the corrupt and despotic president of the Palestinian Authority, is 89 years old and ailing.
A deal that keeps Hamas in power now almost certainly means that when Abbas dies, the organization will be in position to seize the mantle of leadership in the West Bank as well, growing its power and influence.
Just as troubling is what the deal suggests about the political machinations in Washington, DC.
Why would Trump, who repeatedly said there would be âhell to payâ if the hostages werenât released before he takes office, put his weight behind a deal that, with very few and very minor details, is the exact same one peddled, unsuccessfully and for many months now, by the Biden administration?
To hear Steve Witkoff, Trumpâs special envoy to the Middle East, praise Qatar, one of Hamasâ chief financiers and enablers, as âdoing Godâs workâ suggests that anyone who was bullish about the incoming administrationâs approach to the region should curb their enthusiasm.
It isnât easy trying to figure out what would make Trump support such a flawed deal, one that doesnât even return all the hostages at once and leaves Hamas plenty of leverage in the coming weeks and months.
Was the president-elect played and lulled into submission by Washingtonâs âDeep Stateâ? Was he swayed by interested parties in his inner circle into making rash and unprincipled decisions?
Weâve no way of knowing, and itâs a testament to the dealâs glaring imperfections that Trumpâs sudden and enthusiastic support for the bad old terms of the Biden administration would launch conspiracy theories aplenty.
Thatâs a pity. During his first term in office, Trump wisely and courageously rejected the stale dogmas of the American foreign policy elites.
He moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem, and proved that no Armageddon ensued.
He orchestrated the Abraham Accords and showed that Israel can sign peace treaties with Arab nations even before resolving its conflict with the Palestinians.
The unspeakable horrors of October 7, 2023, ought to have inspired a new and bold rethinking of American policy in the region, one that no longer tolerates terrorists or their handlers.
Instead, weâre getting yet another deal that telegraphs a lack of resolve, and rewards the terrorists for their heinous crimes.
Letâs hope the hostages are freed safely and soonest, but letâs hope, too, that, once in office, the Trump administration rethinks its positions and offers a bolder vision of American leadership. Â
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https://www.hudson.org/foreign-policy/praise-israeli-hostages-are-coming-home-deal-keeps-hamas-power-bad-one-liel-leibovitz
January 18, 2025
hudson.org