President-elect Donald Trump wasted no time taking credit for the Israel-Hamas ceasefire deal announced on Wednesday. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was happy to go along, anxious to please the incoming president.
Netanyahu held out long enough to have the deal done days before Trump’s deadline, his inauguration, although the plan was essentially put forward some six months ago by President Joe Biden. Trump’s Middle East envoy, Steven Witkoff, made a high profile show of meeting Bibi and with Qataris leaders to grab bragging rights for his boss.
Trump’s threats that “all hell will break loose” if there was no ceasefire before he took office worked best on Bibi, who knows how volatile and vindictive Trump can be – so he took the deal he’d been long avoiding. Even when his extreme right partners threatened to bring down the government – which they won’t do because they’d lose their jobs and their power, and no new prime minister would ever want the likes of them.
Was Hamas afraid? They feel they’re winning. One definition of victory for Hamas can be summed up in a single word: breathing. Bibi vowed to eradicate them. He failed. They got world sympathy and attention they never had. They’ve got the rest of the world ready to help rebuild Gaza. They won’t have to govern, others will do that, so they can concentrate on rebuilding their military force.
So who wins? Everyone does. Biden can say he did it on his watch. Trump can boast he was the catalyst. Bibi can say he’s returning the hostages. Families of hostages and their supporters win. Hamas can say it survived to fight another day. Qatar can say it was the peacemaker, leading the negotiations. Egypt can say, “me, too.”
And don’t forget the arms industries. War is good for business, and their factories will be working overtime to resupply all sides. Weapons that performed remarkably will be in high demand by other countries. As will the contractors who will get the job of rebuilding after the massive destruction.
The real losers of the war
The losers are tens of thousands of dead and wounded Palestinians, Israelis and other victims; mostly innocent civilians; their families and friends; also those whose homes, businesses, schools, hospitals and infrastructure were damaged or destroyed. Israel’s international stature and political support, including in the US, its best friend and ally, suffered serious damage, as have Jews around the world who are faced with widespread antisemitism.
Most of all, there are the people of Gaza badly in need of food, shelter and health care, and the people of Israel who yearn to live free of terror missiles and drones from all directions and to return to their homes in peace.
Sherman was right – that “War is hell.” And that “total war” wins – at a high price.
The writer is a Washington-based journalist, consultant, lobbyist, and a former legislative director at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.