Arab Leaders Comment On Ceasefire

By
Rachel Stevenson
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Talk about starting strong. President-elect Donald Trump hasn’t even taken the oath of office yet, and he’s already reshaping the global landscape in ways we haven’t seen since his first term. From corporate America turning its back on woke DEI agendas to Mark Zuckerberg deciding that Facebook will ditch its infamous “fact-checkers” in favor of free expression, the Trump effect is already in full swing. But the real showstopper? A potential breakthrough in hostage negotiations between Israel and Hamas that Biden couldn’t achieve in years of bumbling weakness.

The Times of Israel reported Wednesday that Trump’s incoming Mideast envoy, Steve Witkoff, managed to sway Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a single meeting. Let’s be clear: Biden has spent his entire presidency undermining Israel, cozying up to Iran, and pressuring Netanyahu into absurd concessions. Yet in one meeting—one meeting—Trump’s team managed to get more traction than Biden could muster in his entire term. That’s what happens when you lead from a position of strength.

Biden tries to take credit and fails completely:

Here’s the backstory. After the horrific Hamas-led terrorist attack on October 7, 2023, which killed around 1,200 civilians—including 40 Americans—and took 251 hostages, Biden’s response was, let’s say, uninspiring. Instead of standing firmly with our ally, Biden urged Netanyahu to consider a ceasefire—essentially asking Israel to stop defending itself against a terrorist organization without any guarantees for the hostages’ release. Shocking but not surprising. Weakness has been Biden’s foreign policy hallmark.

Now, enter Trump’s team. Steve Witkoff flew to Israel for a high-stakes meeting with Netanyahu, urging him to accept critical compromises to secure a hostage deal. Just two days after that meeting, mediators reported that both Israel and Hamas had agreed in principle to a deal. While the details are still being ironed out—most notably regarding IDF withdrawal from Gaza—it’s a breakthrough that would have been unthinkable under Biden’s watch. Netanyahu clearly knows he’s about to have a strong ally in the White House again, and that changes everything.

Let’s not overlook the broader implications. Trump isn’t even president yet, but his mere presence on the horizon is already changing the geopolitical game. Mediators from Qatar and Egypt are moving with urgency, Hamas is on notice, and even Netanyahu is stepping up. Why? Because everyone knows Trump doesn’t bluff. He said it himself during a recent press conference at Mar-a-Lago: “All hell will break out” if Hamas doesn’t release the hostages by Inauguration Day. That’s the kind of unequivocal warning the world’s bad actors understand—and fear.

Contrast that with Biden’s approach: mixed messages, empty words, and a track record of throwing Israel under the bus. Hamas and its enablers knew they could get away with murder—literally—because Biden was never going to do more than wag his finger. With Trump, they know the clock is ticking. When he makes a promise, he follows through, whether it’s rebuilding the military, crushing ISIS, or pulling out of disastrous deals like the JCPOA.

The hostage negotiations are a reminder of what strong leadership looks like. Trump’s team is proving that resolve and clarity—paired with a deep commitment to America’s allies—can move mountains. And while the final deal isn’t signed yet, one thing is crystal clear: Trump is back, and the world is already adjusting to the reality that American strength is about to return to the global stage.

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