Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: When US President Donald Trump claimed in April 2025 that the war between India and Pakistan is “1,000-year-old”, he may not have known that Pakistan came into existence only in 1947. But, being a Christian, does he know that the ‘Palestine problem’ is over 3,000 years old—and its roots may be traced right back in The Old Testament?
So, despite his trending 21-point “peace plan” to end the ongoing Gaza War, the region may only witness a temporary respite—enabling both Israel and its adversaries to rearm themselves!
Amid this turmoil, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, days after his defiant speech at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) rejecting demands to end the war, will discuss Gaza ceasefire deal with President Trump on September 29.
At home, Netanyahu’s governing coalition appears more fragile than ever. And the White House is showing signs of impatience. In all likelihood, therefore, it appears a temporary deal: for Trump, it may take him closer to a potential Nobel Peace Prize (?); for Netanyahu it will be a brief respite; and for the Muslim countries, at best, a silver trophy to show off at home.
Whether Trump, who has offered steadfast backing to Netanyahu throughout the ongoing war, will change his tone and turn up the pressure on Israel to finally wind down the conflict?
In a post Sunday on social media, the US President said: “We have a real chance for GREATNESS IN THE MIDDLE EAST. ALL ARE ON BOARD FOR SOMETHING SPECIAL, FIRST TIME EVER. WE WILL GET IT DONE!!!”
Trump, who needs Israel against Iran, joined the Israeli PM during Israel’s brief war with Iran in June, ordering US stealth bombers to strike three nuclear sites. And he supported the Israeli leader during his corruption trial, describing the case as a “witch hunt.”
But he was frustrated by Israel’s failed strike this month on Hamas officials in Qatar, a key US ally in the restive Middle East hosting negotiations to end the war in Gaza.
Recent comments have hinted at growing impatience from Washington. Last week, Trump vowed to prevent Israel from annexing the West Bank — an idea promoted by some of Netanyahu’s hard-line governing partners. The international community opposes annexation, saying it would destroy hopes for a two-state solution.
On Friday, Trump told reporters that the US was “very close to a deal on Gaza.” He had made similar pronouncements in the past with nothing to show for it, and it’s unclear if this time will be different.
Trump’s proposal to stop the war in Gaza calls for an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages within 48 hours and a gradual withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Palestinian enclave. Hamas is believed to be still holding 48 hostages, 20 of whom may be alive. The terror group has demanded that Israel agree to end the war altogether and withdraw from all of Gaza as part of any permanent ceasefire.
The US President discussed the plan with Arab and Islamic leaders in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) this week. It doesn’t include the expulsion of Palestinians from Gaza, a key Israeli goal which Trump appeared to endorse earlier this year.
The 21-point proposal also calls for an end to Hamas rule of Gaza as well as the disarmament of the terror group. Hundreds of Palestinians, including many serving life sentences, will be released by Israel, according to the proposal.
The plan also includes the establishment of an international security force to take over law enforcement in post-war Gaza, they said.
A Palestinian committee of technocrats would oversee the civilian affairs of the Gaza Strip, with power handed over later to a reformed Palestinian Authority. Netanyahu has rejected any role for the authority, the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinians, in postwar Gaza.
A Hamas official said the group has repeatedly rejected laying down arms and has linked its weapons to the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.
Netanyahu acknowledged the US plan on Sunday, saying Israeli officials were “working with President Trump’s team … and I hope we can make it a go.”
In his speech on Friday at the UNGA, he praised Trump multiple times, calling him an essential partner who “understands better than any other leader that Israel and America face a common threat.”
But apart from the US leadership, Israel has lost much of the international goodwill it once could count on.
At a special session of the UN Security Council (UNSC) last week, several nations expressed horror at the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas terrorists who killed about 1,200 people in Israel, took 251 people hostage and triggered the war. Then many of the representatives also criticized the response by Israel and called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and influx of aid.
Israel’s sweeping offensive has killed more than 66,000 Palestinians in Gaza, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, which is part of the Hamas-run administration. The fighting has displaced 90 percent of the Gaza population of 2.3 million before October 2023, with an increasing number now starving.
In recent weeks, 28 Western-aligned countries that circled behind Israel two years ago have called to end the offensive in Gaza. They also criticized Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid, which contributed to famine in parts of Gaza.
Ten countries — including Britain, France, Canada and Australia — recognized Palestinian statehood last week, hoping to revive the long-moribund peace process. Several Arab states, including some with longstanding relations with Israel, have accused it of committing genocide in Gaza. The UN’s highest court is weighing genocide allegations raised by South Africa that Israel vehemently denies.
And Netanyahu, fearing the International Criminal Court’s nonbailable warrant against him, took a alternative airspace to fly from Israel to New York early this week.