What the Art of the Deal Looks Like
Finally, after two years of war between Israel and Hamas, there are signs that peace may return to the Middle East. Yesterday, the ceasefire began, and Hamas began returning hostages to the care of the Red Cross. According to the deal, Israel has released over 1,900 Hamas prisoners and is allowing food and aid back into the war-torn area. The joy of those returning home and the heartbreak of those killed on both sides is enough tragedy. Thank God it is coming to an end.
President Donald Trump signed the cease-fire agreement with 20 world leaders in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. Trump said, “This took 3,000 years to get to this point. Can you believe it? And it’s going to hold up, too. It’s going to hold up.”
The plan to stop the fighting has many moving parts; only Trump could have executed it. The beginning of the peace plan everyone observed yesterday is a culmination of work the President completed years before, and his vision for peace seems to be working.
In recent history, no president has campaigned and continued to promote peace throughout the world like Trump because he genuinely wants to save human lives. Through the power of his office, Trump was instrumental in bringing peace seven times between countries fighting or ready to fight. But even before he settled those skirmishes and brokered his eighth with Israel and Hamas, his first term provided the fertile ground for peace in the Middle East.
In his first administration, Trump signed the Abraham Accords, an agreement between Israel and Arab nations to live peacefully. The accords were named after Abraham, a historic and religious figure revered in Judaism and Islam. Three surrounding Arab countries, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Morocco, signed the agreement. Importantly, these countries acknowledged Israel and its right to exist.
The accord’s historic significance was that it provided the framework for how previous enemies could live in peace. It was based upon a structure of human rights and religious freedom. For once, the religious barriers resisting peace had been broken down. Part of the decree makes this evident: “We encourage efforts to promote interfaith and intercultural dialogue to advance a culture of peace among the three Abrahamic religions and all humanity.”
The Abraham Accords undoubtedly helped broker the ceasefire deal because they are a bridge between Israel and the Arabs. This makes it much easier for other Arab countries to consider a Middle East without chaos and violence, and the potential of trade, even with Israel. Money and prosperity are tremendous motivators for peace.
The Abraham Accords broke down the first barrier of the ancient conflict by showing the world that Arabs and Israel could coexist. Once the first block was tottered, Trump sought to continue by leveraging finance and money to bring about peace in Gaza.
He did this masterfully by convincing the Arab countries surrounding Gaza of the potential economic gains of an area free from war. Part of his 20-point plan is to rebuild the area without terrorist control. If this can be accomplished, Gaza will become a safe and prosperous. Neighboring countries and Israel in the Middle East will benefit from a politically and financially stable Gaza.
Trump’s financial savvy and ability to give hope to the people of Gaza helped secure the deal. The people of Gaza have lost a lot of their own people, and their hopes for a better future were unattainable without a peace plan. With all that the people of Gaza have suffered, they may be ready to change their minds about the endless conflicts and work toward building a better future for themselves.
Implementing the 20-point plan involves plenty of “ifs.” Continue to pray that the ceasefire will lead to lasting peace and a return to life and prosperity in that part of the world instead of harmful terrorist ideology.
Prayers for ending this war have already been answered, but more prayers will be necessary for it to be free of violence for years to come.