On the Mast: Trump’s Audacity has Given Mideast Peace a Chance

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Atop the Mast: the American flag, in honor of the successful efforts to date of Mr. Trump in bringing some element of peace to the Middle East and Gaza.

On the Yardarm: the flags of Qatar and Palestine. Qatar has played a key role as a mediator. Israel’s recent attack on Hamas leadership in Qatar, without informing Mr. Trump in advance, apparently was one motive for his aggressive steps to bring about a ceasefire.

The past week may mark a pivotal point in the Middle East after many decades and indeed almost a century of conflict between the government of Israel and its Arab neighbors. Several wars have been fought, inflicting massive casualties on all sides. The plight of the Palestinian people has been especially painful, starting with many being driven out of their homes and lands when Israel was created in 1949, and most recently the massive reprisals against Hamas and the people of Gaza after the horrific slaughter of Israelis just over two years ago.

Well-intended leaders on all sides have tried to end the violence and build a lasting peace that would allow Israelis, Palestinians, and their Arab neighbors to live in peace. President Biden was the most recent U.S. President who tried, and like all his predecessors, failed.

Surprisingly, President Trump’s unorthodox and strong-armed approach seems to have made a real difference. He has a long commitment to improving relations between Israel and its Arab neighbors, reflected in the Abraham Accords of his first term. He put no restraints on the Israelis’ utter destruction in Gaza with devastating impacts on its civilian population, but once Hamas was for the most part defanged, he reportedly was very forceful in telling the Israeli government the fighting must end. Along with a multi-phase plan to put an international interim team in place in Gaza to replace Hamas’s role (which may or may not happen), his effort has resulted in a ceasefire and the release of Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinian prisoners. Apparently the prospect of getting a future Nobel Peace Prize has motivated Mr. Trump.

If so, maybe we should hand out many Peace prizes in future years to address conflicts all over the world! While both sides have ample reasons to be skeptical and cynical about how things will play out, Pete Seeger’s dream that  “We Shall Live in Peace” seems like one we should all share. If this holds, the remainder of Mr. Trump’s term will offer amply opportunity to create more positive engagement between Israel’s people and their Arab neighbors. There is now a real sliver of hope that, after so many painful years, they may live in peace.


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Tayloe Washburn
Tayloe Washburn
A former land-use attorney and civic activist on a range of Seattle area issues, Tayloe Washburn served as CEO and founding dean of Northeastern University's Seattle Campus.

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