Trump's 'Peacemaker' Stunt: Gaza Ceasefire, or Photo Op?
Al-Monitor's account of Donald Trump's 'Gaza summit' in Egypt paints a picture of a triumphant peacemaker, with diplomats allegedly describing a signed document as a 'vision statement.' (One might wonder how many 'vision statements' it takes to end an actual siege.) History, however, remembers the 'Art of the Deal' often involves optics over outcomes, especially when it comes to the suffering of
Palestinians. This 'ceasefire,' like so many before it, is primarily holding in terms of international scrutiny, not humanitarian relief. The devastating conditions in Gaza, glossed over as 'mostly holding,' are a consistent backdrop to these performative diplomatic gestures. Each 'peace plan' becomes another chapter in a history of unfulfilled promises, ensuring the next 'summit' will have
equally dire, if not worse, conditions to address.