President Donald Trump embarked on a one-day tour of Israel and Egypt to celebrate his reception from global leaders and share a vision for lasting peace in the Middle East, following successful US-led mediation efforts that ended the violence in Gaza.
The true challenge is yet to come.
Read: Israel and Hamas reach a deal for hostage release, a significant milestone.
In the resort city of Sharm El-Sheikh, Trump endorsed an agreement regarding Gaza, asserting it took 3,000 years to achieve. He then addressed over a dozen leaders he gathered for the event, delivering a speech reminiscent of a campaign rally, where he criticized his predecessor, Joe Biden, and even some present leaders.
“You’re all my friends, incredible individuals,” Trump said to the leaders behind him. “There are a few I’m not fond of, but I won’t name them.”
Despite Trump’s tone, even his critics recognized it as a momentous victory lap, considering his success in negotiating a peace deal that had long eluded others, including Biden.
Although the peace remains fragile, Trump successfully convinced Hamas to release the remaining hostages and persuaded Israel to halt its destructive military actions in Gaza.
Aspirations for a Nobel Peace Prize
This extraordinary gathering might also serve to mend Trump’s wounded pride following his failure to obtain a Nobel Peace Prize the previous week, despite his vocal campaigning for it.
During the celebration on Monday, a buoyant Trump joked about the timing, saying, “Oh, Norway, ay yai yai. What’s going on, Norway?”
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Trump took center stage, turning normally bustling leaders from over 20 nations and multilateral organizations into mere spectators, after successfully persuading them all to convene for a brief summit.
Yet, beneath the array of international flags and the forced smiles of his peers, the objectives he set forth are formidable.
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While it was significant to arrange the release of the remaining hostages and halt Israel’s offensive against Hamas, the upcoming steps are anticipated to be far more difficult.
‘A New Middle East’
In his address at Israel’s parliament in Jerusalem, Trump declared “the historic dawn of a new Middle East” and speculated that negotiating a peace agreement with Iran—a country that Israel confronted during a brief conflict in June—would be “easy.”
“The president tends to exaggerate, and today was no exception,” commented Jonathan Panikoff from the Atlantic Council’s Middle East Program.
“The challenges of a broader peace agreement are exceedingly intricate.”
During his speech in Israel, Trump referenced the Abraham Accords seven times, emphasizing the agreements from his first term that established normalized relations between Israel and several Arab nations. He has consistently sought to expand these accords to include more countries, a goal that was actively pursued between Israel and Saudi Arabia before the terrorist attacks on October 7, 2023.
Read: Trump announces Netanyahu’s acceptance of a 20-point plan aimed at ending the conflict in Gaza.
Highlighting ongoing tensions, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan initially hesitated to attend the summit in Egypt due to the presence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, whom he accuses of committing genocide. Ultimately, Netanyahu did not attend because of a Jewish holiday.
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The ceremony on Monday marked a pivotal moment of de-escalation between Israel and Hamas.
However, the execution of some of the more challenging elements of Trump’s 20-point peace plan—such as disarming Hamas—remained ambiguous on Monday, although Trump expressed optimism about their implementation.
Tony Blair
Trump also raised questions regarding another aspect—appointing former British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the “Board of Peace,” which Trump will oversee. He mentioned on Sunday that he needs to confirm Blair’s acceptability to all parties despite Blair’s previous inclusion in the plan announced by the White House two weeks ago.
Trump won’t take long to face another challenge that has hindered his negotiation attempts thus far.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy is scheduled to visit the White House on Friday as Trump aims for a resolution to the conflict with Russia.
Trump vowed during the 2024 campaign to quickly end the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. However, achieving lasting peace requires implementing agreements and sustained effort beyond mere initial ceasefires and grand proclamations, emphasized Brian Katulis, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute.
“That can’t simply be done through headline-grabbing statements,” he remarked. “The real work is paramount.”
Read: G7 leaders unable to persuade Trump to adopt a firmer stance on Russia.
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