A few weeks ago, peace between Israel and Palestine felt like a distant dream. Yet on Monday, President Trump made a swift visit to the Middle East, finalizing his Gaza peace proposal. It seemed almost effortless, but achieving such peace is rarely straightforward.
In reality, this outcome stems from a meticulous, gradual process that Trump initiated right at the start of his presidency.
He quickly realized that to pave the way for peace, he needed to depart from traditional approaches and “flip the script.”
In January 2017, Trump’s top advisors convened in the White House to review what they perceived as Biden’s foreign policy missteps. As they discussed various nations and regions, it became clear that the Middle East required a strategic decision.
At that time, the Gulf Arab nations were experiencing a shift in leadership. They could either continue collaborating with an older generation of leaders—familiar yet conservative, often unfavorable to Israel, and accepting of terrorism—or, as Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner proposed, they could engage with a younger, emerging generation. These young leaders were educated in the West, embraced diverse economies, and recognized that heavy reliance on oil was unsustainable. They sought reform and were inclined toward peace with Israel, moving away from extremism and persistent conflict.
Trump opted to support this younger generation. During his early tenure, these leaders visited the White House frequently. Although they held on to traditional attire, they were actually pushing for significant modernization and reform.
Over time, these leaders gained power, fostering close personal ties with Trump. This trust was crucial when Trump managed to negotiate the historic Abraham Accords between Israel and the Gulf nations towards the end of his first term. Despite Biden’s decision to create distance from these leaders, Trump and Kushner maintained open channels of communication.
Returning to the White House, Trump’s initial official visit was to Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. The new generation of Arab leaders had gained respect for him, and he had secured their faith and loyalty. Now, he aims to leverage that support to foster peace in the region, having backed them in the past.
Trump faced a new challenge upon returning, as the prevailing strategy under Biden suggested appeasing Iran and distancing the U.S. from both Israel and the Gulf Arab states. Instead, Trump reverted Biden’s unproductive policies, reinstating measures to curtail Iran’s economy.
He reaffirmed America’s staunch support for Israel, backing Prime Minister Netanyahu’s actions against Iranian proxies across the region.
With Iran’s proxies weakened and its economy faltering, Trump moved to dismantle Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
A few weeks ago at the United Nations, while some focused on teleprompter issues, Trump moved forward. He convinced various Muslim countries, including Türkiye and Egypt, to endorse his 20-point peace plan—secured by winning over Qatar, traditionally an ally of Hamas. He balanced restraint on Israel with security assurances.
In fact, Trump managed to bring together significant support and called for Hamas’s disarmament, effectively isolating it from both the Muslim world and the Palestinian people. The subsequent proposal offered hope for prosperity, conditional upon Hamas’s removal.
Following a ceasefire, regional stakeholders guaranteed the continuation of peace and the rebuilding of Gaza. Assistance and jobs would bypass Hamas, going directly to the Palestinian populace through a new governing structure.
Israel, the U.S., Arab nations, and especially the Palestinians are motivated to exclude Hamas. Investments are expected to flow into Gaza, signaling a rapid rebuilding process.
As Trump remarked, this marks a “historic dawn” not just for Gaza, but for the entire Middle East. The region stands on the brink of transforming from chaos to commerce, and the potential for cooperation among Abrahamic peoples is immense.
Only Donald J. Trump could have achieved this—his sheer determination and willingness to deviate from the norm were pivotal.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
