The Peace Process: A Recurring Illusion
Strip away the framing and you're left with this: When Newsweek announced in 2018 that Israel had "officially joined Trump's 'Board of Peace,'" the headline hinted at a breakthrough. This was sold as a step toward resolving the protracted conflict, framed by mainstream outlets as a genuine, albeit unconventional, diplomatic effort under American leadership. Yet, like the 1978 Camp David Accords,
which cemented US influence and sidelined the Palestinian Liberation Organization, or the 1993 Oslo Accords, which created an administrative Authority without sovereignty, these initiatives consistently follow a pattern. Records show that 1978's agreement led to a 100% increase in Israeli settlement expansion in the West Bank by 1982, demonstrating that 'peace' often means accelerated land grabs.
This 'Middle East peace' template, historically, has less to do with equitable resolution and more with realigning regional power dynamics, often at the expense of Palestinian liberty and land. The timing of these 'boards' and 'roadmaps' is notable: they emerge precisely when international sentiment begins to shift, or when new geopolitical alignments are sought. The 2018 'deal of the century'
rhetoric, much like previous efforts, failed to meaningfully engage Palestinian leadership or address core issues like the right of return for over 7 million refugees. This continues a well-documented double standard, where Israel's security concerns are paramount, while Palestinian rights are treated as negotiable concessions. Same script. New actors. Same outcome. The persistent illusion of a