My title is somewhat misleading since many players were involved in the twenty-point peace plan that Trump helped to broker. And it is still very early days. The starting point is a ransom deal to get the last 20 living hostages out of Gaza, in exchange for nearly 2000 prisoners, including hundreds of those with life sentences.
Later this weekend it is hoped that the Israeli hostages will be released. And the remains of 28 dead hostages will also need to be found and returned. So any major early celebrations need to be tempered, although there has been a whole lot of dancing in the streets in Israel, and even in parts of Gaza.
Three main things can be said at this point. If it works, it is a major win for Trump. If it works, it is a major loss for the Israel- and Trump-haters. And great caution is needed on Hamas and how it proceeds. Let me discuss each point in turn.
Trump and the art of the deal
If all goes according to plan, we can say this: Hamas has been defeated for the most part and Israel has prevailed. In broader terms we can say that civilisation has defeated barbarism. Only Iran still supports the Hamas savages, and both are now greatly weakened.
Much of the rest of the Middle East has largely abandoned Hamas. Likely more deals with the Abraham Accords will now be forthcoming. The Israeli strike a month ago on Hamas locations in Doha showed Qatar and the region that Israel means business with its enemies. That and the US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities really helped to make this deal possible. Peace comes through strength.
This will be Trump’s eighth global peace deal. For all the hatred he gets, he sure is trying to stop wars and make peace. What has transpired so far is all mainly due to Trump. He made the impossible possible. Just imagine if Kamala Harris were in the White House now instead. Iran would still have nukes, Hamas would still be standing strong, Palestinians would still be suffering, the hostages would still be languishing, and there would be no peace in the Middle East.
What we see so far is really little short of miraculous. Who would have imagined such an outcome was even remotely possible? I repeat: it is early days indeed, but surely this is a wonderful first step. And so much talk now about Trump getting the Nobel Peace Prize is certainly not amiss. He deserves it.
The left is spitting chips
Of course all this is driving the Israelphobes, antisemites, haters of the West, and those with TDS bonkers. Here is how this can be simply laid out:
-Trump brokers peace deal in the Middle East – Dems and the left go ballistic and rail against Trump.
-Trump cures cancer – Dems and the left go ballistic and rail against Trump.
-Trump ends all domestic violence – Dems and the left go ballistic and rail against Trump.
Nothing will ever please the radical leftists and demonised Trump haters.
All their pet projects of protesting everything Trump and Israel does will now be made a bit more difficult. Sure, they will think of plenty more things to go nutzo about, but a lot of their excuses have been taken away from them. The very things they have been demanding are now happening.
Unhinged lefties scream ‘Free Palestine!’ Trump just did! ‘Bring peace in the Middle East!’ Trump just did. ‘Release the prisoners in Israel!’ Trump just did. ‘End the hostilities!’ Trump just did. The left is already going loopy at the thought that the ones they especially hate (Trump and Netanyahu) are doing what they have been demanding all along.
And a bit of reality of course comes into play here. Hamas could have agreed to do all this 734 days ago. There would have been no war and collateral damage had Hamas simply released hostages of October 8, 2023 and laid down their arms. But the deranged left – and some on the woke right – kept insisting that somehow everything was Israel’s and America’s fault. They are such fools.
As one commentator put it:
Everyone I know who supports Israel is celebrating a deal that frees the hostages, and ends the war.
Every “ceasefire now” activist I know is not.
Their cause has never really been about peace, or the people living there.
But an optimistic note can be mentioned: At least one Democrat is thankful. Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman said this: “I congratulate POTUS on this historic peace plan that releases all the hostages… Our parties are different but we have a shared ironclad commitment to Israel and its people.”
Warnings about Hamas
The real problem with the success or failure of this peace deal is Hamas. The simple truth is this: the diabolical terror group Hamas cannot be trusted with anything. Even though part of the deal is for them to lay down their arms, it remains to be seen what they will really do, and if they will comply with the other treaty stipulations.
Scripture asks if a leopard can change its spots, and Hamas will not and cannot change overnight. It may never change. Its clearly expressed goals of destroying Israel and the Jews have not disappeared. It is still the demonic poison that drives them in their hatred and bloodlust.
Those in the know are sounding the alarm in this regard. For example, former Muslim, turned atheist, and now turned Christian, Ayaan Hirsi Ali put it this way:
Earlier today, negotiators in Egypt announced a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Hamas will release hostages. Israel will release prisoners. The arithmetic of human exchange has been calculated, the ratios agreed upon. Many are celebrating, but I remain skeptical.
When leaders speak of peace, they picture a cessation of violence, the restoration of order, and a calm that endures. For much of the world, peace means the end of war and the slow return of stability. For Islamists, and for Hamas in particular, the word means something else entirely. This is not a quibble of translation but a fundamental divide in meaning. Before we rush to cheer or pop corks, we must ask a crucial question: What does a Hamas signature actually mean?
Hamas is not a normal political movement. It is an Islamist enterprise founded on conquest, not coexistence. Its charter does not speak the language of compromise but of continuity — the continuation of jihad until victory. Western governments plan in two- and four-year cycles. Hamas plans in generations. That mismatch alone should shatter any illusion of parity. You cannot reason a doctrine out of existence. You cannot paper over theology with treaties…
And Islam expert Robert Spencer takes an equally dim and pessimistic view of all this:
The reason why this peace deal is no cause for celebration is simple: it will not bring peace. It is based on a fundamental misunderstanding or willful refusal to understand why Hamas is fighting and what the group is all about. Hamas has no interest whatsoever in establishing a “Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace,” except on its own terms, which would require the total destruction of Israel and its replacement with a Sharia state.
What Trump — along with every other leader in the Western world — does not or will not understand is that Hamas is an ISLAMIC group. An Islamic group can be reasonably expected to follow Islamic law. Islamic law does not allow for the establishment of peace between a Muslim entity and a non-Muslim one on an indefinite basis, with, say, two states living side by side and respecting each other’s right to exist.
NO, the imperative of Islamic conquest encompasses every non-Muslim entity. Muslims must fight unbelievers “until persecution is no more and religion is all for Allah.” (Qur’an 8:39) If Israel’s religion is not all for Allah, the jihad against it will continue.
While we need to listen to these and other warnings, we also can at the very least keep praying for the peace of Jerusalem as Scripture enjoins us (Psalm 122:6). Critics may well argue that the Trump plan is no panacea. But we must bear in mind that it is not competing against any other panacea.
So I will patiently wait and see how things turn out in the days ahead. I will not be a wild-eyed optimist. As a biblical Christian, knowing full well about the power of sin and selfishness, I cannot afford to be that. But neither can I just be an armchair critic and naysayer, blasting whatever Trump and others are trying to do.
I say it again: pray for the peace of Jerusalem – and pray for Israel, for America, for the West, and for leaders like Trump and Netanyahu.
A Prayer for Peace and Assurance in the End Times
Heavenly Father, as we face the uncertainties of the end times, we turn to You for peace and assurance. Help us to trust in Your perfect plan and to live each day with faith and hope. Strengthen our hearts to remain steadfast, knowing that You are in control. Guide us with Your wisdom, and fill us with Your peace, no matter what the future holds. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Trusting in God’s Plan for the End Times
As we consider the end times, it’s natural to feel a mix of emotions. Yet, the Bible assures us that we have nothing to fear when we place our trust in God. His word is full of promises that give us peace, hope, and the confidence that He is always in control. By keeping these verses close, we can navigate the uncertainties of the future with faith, knowing that God’s plan is one of redemption and eternal life. Let these scriptures remind you that no matter what lies ahead, God’s love and protection are always with you.
Cheers & blessings to all…
Eric Hansen
Thanks Bill, sadly there are many who just cannot get their heads, and or hearts, around the reality here. The enemy of our souls has created a marvelous beast and just the evidence of that beast is terrifying. In amongst all the necessary tactics, strategies, & acting, there is really only one way this beast is going to be defeated, and that is spiritual warfare. Personally the strategy is clear, as expressed in Revl 12:11. Context; The heavenly dwellers set the tone for those on the earth; “and they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.”
A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog considers this argument sensible and agrees to transport the scorpion. Midway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog anyway, dooming them both. The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: “I am sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s my character.”
Thanks Bill,
What peace are we referring to here?
A Prayer for Peace and Assurance in the End Times
Heavenly Father, as we face the uncertainties of the end times, we turn to You for peace and assurance. Help us to trust in Your perfect plan and to live each day with faith and hope. Strengthen our hearts to remain steadfast, knowing that You are in control. Guide us with Your wisdom, and fill us with Your peace, no matter what the future holds. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.
Trusting in God’s Plan for the End Times
As we consider the end times, it’s natural to feel a mix of emotions. Yet, the Bible assures us that we have nothing to fear when we place our trust in God. His word is full of promises that give us peace, hope, and the confidence that He is always in control. By keeping these verses close, we can navigate the uncertainties of the future with faith, knowing that God’s plan is one of redemption and eternal life. Let these scriptures remind you that no matter what lies ahead, God’s love and protection are always with you.
Cheers & blessings to all…
Eric Hansen
Thanks Bill, sadly there are many who just cannot get their heads, and or hearts, around the reality here. The enemy of our souls has created a marvelous beast and just the evidence of that beast is terrifying. In amongst all the necessary tactics, strategies, & acting, there is really only one way this beast is going to be defeated, and that is spiritual warfare. Personally the strategy is clear, as expressed in Revl 12:11. Context; The heavenly dwellers set the tone for those on the earth; “and they have overcome him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto death.”
A scorpion wants to cross a river but cannot swim, so it asks a frog to carry it across. The frog hesitates, afraid that the scorpion might sting it, but the scorpion promises not to, pointing out that it would drown if it killed the frog in the middle of the river. The frog considers this argument sensible and agrees to transport the scorpion. Midway across the river, the scorpion stings the frog anyway, dooming them both. The dying frog asks the scorpion why it stung despite knowing the consequence, to which the scorpion replies: “I am sorry, but I couldn’t help myself. It’s my character.”
My concern is that Hamas are scorpions