https://arab.news/7jpkz
By any measure, the recent developments in Gaza mark a pivotal moment in the region’s long and painful history. And while cynics may scoff and skeptics may roll their eyes, it is time to acknowledge what must be said plainly: US President Donald Trump deserves credit for his bold and determined efforts to broker peace in Gaza.
Two years after countless failed initiatives, the current US-led push — chaired personally by the president as head of the newly formed Board of Peace — seems to be not just another diplomatic gesture with a fancy name. It has all the attributes of a serious, high-stakes undertaking that, if supported and sustained, could finally begin to reverse the devastation that has plagued the Gaza Strip and the Palestinian people.
Is the plan perfect? Far from it. Could it fail? There is definitely a high risk, given the many spoilers. With an extremist, trigger-happy Israeli government still in power, and a not-so-encouraging track record of Hamas, the road ahead is treacherous. But perfection is not the measure of progress. And repeating the same failed UN mechanisms while expecting different results is, as the famous quote says, the definition of insanity. I say this while fully and wholeheartedly wishing that the reality was otherwise. The reality is, unfortunately, that this is more a case of the Arabic proverb which says “and so cure it with what caused the illness to start with.”
