Tel Aviv/Washington – The whole world has been waiting for this moment: The Israeli hostages who survived Hamas' terror are to be released on Monday morning, thus finally ending the war and suffering in Gaza. The world is witnessing a diplomatic feat that few thought possible.
“Blessed are the peacemakers”: With this Bible verse (Matthew 5:9) and not a little pathos, US President Donald Trump (79) announced the spectacular peace deal with the Hamas terrorists.
One inevitably wondered: Is he really talking about himself?
Certainly – but it is becoming increasingly clear who should receive the credit above all: the three people who negotiated the deal themselves!
The Architects of Peace
They completed the agreement: US special envoy Steve Witkoff (68) and Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner (44), the husband of Trump's daughter Ivanka (43), an Orthodox Jew and strategist behind the Abraham Accords, which in 2020 led many Arab countries to improve their relations with Israel.
Kushner has a brilliant network in the Middle East – not just in Israel: He built diplomatic relations with Arab countries during his time as an advisor during Trump's first term. Today, his company, Affinity Partners, is financed almost entirely by foreign investors (including Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates).
Witkoff and Kushner, like Trump, have become rich through real estate deals. According to the New York Times, Kushner had only one goal in the Hamas negotiations: to get a"yes" first and work out the details later.
Visibly proud of his diplomatic skills, Kushner said:"It's just different being a 'deal guy'—just a different sport."
With negotiator Steve Witkoff (68), Kushner set up an impromptu command center to work out the final details with all the mediators. After Israel attempted to kill the Hamas leadership with rockets on Qatari soil, he recognized the opportunity in the crisis among the US allies that the failure had triggered.
Kushner persuaded the Gulf state to distance itself from Hamas in exchange for security guarantees. Other Islamic countries (including Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia) followed suit. And then Netanyahu suddenly called Qatar and apologized for the attack on the emirate's soil.
Israel is already laying down its weapons – Monday morning's release of the hostages could also mark a turning point in the history of terror and wars against Israel.
Can there be lasting peace?
Israel's two-year war with Hamas may be coming to an end on Monday. But can the"deal" really limit hostilities in the Middle East in the long run?
According to Middle East expert Peter R. Neumann, it depends on whether the Trump administration wants to continue working on deals – many difficult questions in the peace plan remain unresolved.
