That Elusive Peace Between Totalitarian Islam and Israel

"[International mediators, led by the U.S. are working] to force the way forward [to the second phase to cement the deal]. What we have just done is a pause. We cannot consider it yet a ceasefire."

"A ceasefire cannot be completed unless there is a full withdrawal of Israeli forces, there is stability back in Gaza, people can go in and out, which is not the case today."

"There is a root for this conflict. And this conflict is not only about Gaza."

"It's about Gaza. It's about the West Bank. It's about the rights of the Palestinians for their state."

"We are hoping that we can work together with the U.S. administration to achieve this vision at the end of the day." 

Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatari prime minister 

Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani shakes hands with White House Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, as they speak with President Donald Trump before a state dinner at Lusail Palace in Doha, Qatar, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

 

In actual fact, this conflict is about Israel refusing to depart from its resumed geographic seat on a mere portion of its ancestral homeland. It is about surrounding Arab/Muslim countries apoplectic at the presence of a Jewish state reborn on land that the Arab conquest consecrated to Islam. It is about over four millennia of historical existence of Jews being wiped off the slate of history to argue that 'Palestine' is a deserved homeland for Arabs who migrated from Syria, Lebanon and Egypt in the last century to claim it as their own, when 'Palestine' always denoted a Jewish presence.

 

It is about repetitive bouts of conflict forced on the Jewish state by hostile, aggressive neighbours in a sectarian-tribal-clan tradition of competition and conflict. And it is, above all, the collective Middle East Arab councils of those governments inciting Arab Palestinians to believe that the land in question is theirs and theirs alone. The Arab Palestinians in fact, serve as a device to convince the international community that a human rights violation of immense proportions took place when Arab Palestinians were displaced when Jews reclaimed their patrimony.

 

And while most of those surrounding states -- who forcefully exiled a greater number of Jews who had lived in Arab countries for millennia, greater in number than the Palestinians who fled 'Palestine' in 1948 -- have now softened their stance and are prepared to accept that the Jewish presence which predated their own is permanent and its presence can enhance future prospects for peace and prosperity, the Palestinians themselves see the imperative of denying Israel's presence as cast in stone. They have, of course, had great assistance from Aryan-Muslim-Shiite Iran and from Qatar and their satellite Shiite militias. Iran has provided the theological impetus and Qatar the funding for terrorist groups dedicated to Israel's annihilation.

 

The Hamas charter pledge of destroying Israel alongside that of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad are the Palestinian instruments of terror that Iran and Qatar rely upon to produce the coveted goal of Jewish annihilation. Hezbollah, Yemen's Houthis and Shia militias loyal to Iran have collectively done their utmost in that direction. Despite all odds, Israel's military has met them all in combat and remains immovable. Even so, Qatar, aided by Turkey, has no intention of allowing Israel to defeat the combined forces of Islamist jihadists.

 

US President Donald Trump hosts a trilateral phone call with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani of Qatar in the Oval Office, September 29, 2025. (The White House)

 

Qatar is alerting the United States, Israel's powerful backer, that the Trump peace plan is in a 'critical moment' with the first phase 'over', and the second soon to begin. Actually, it is not over until it is over; the first phase is incomplete, not only because the last of the Israeli hostages held in Gaza has not yet been returned, but critically, Hamas will not, as 'agreed upon' surrendered its arms. It has actually been busy in the interval between 'phases' of the peace plan, rearming, recruiting, reordering priorities and digging in as it resumes its control over that portion of Gaza it still occupies.

 

And this not-unexpected turn of events is being engineered and supported by Qatar, Iran and Turkey, for Gaza to remain in Hamas control, despite powerful rival clans in Gaza opposing Hamas's return to power and the conflict in that sector is ongoing. Gaza 'health officials' -- which is to say Hamas health sector operatives -- warn the international community of Palestinians still being targeted by the Israeli military, but further elaboration explains that these are Hamas operatives approaching Israeli troops in areas off limits to them as per the agreement.

 

The second phase relies upon the deployment of an international security force in Gaza, formation of a new technocratic government, disarmament of Hamas which would in theory lead to an eventual Israeli forces withdrawal. There are no expectations that such an international security force will deploy to Gaza; no foreign countries are anxious to have their military personnel placed in the kind of danger facing Hamas would entail. And since Hamas leaders have stated time and again they will not surrender their arms, Israeli troops will not withdraw.

 

People walk amid the rubble of destroyed buildings as the Cold Moon, the last supermoon of the year, rises over the Nuseirat camp for displaced Palestinians in the central Gaza Strip on December 4, 2025.   Eyad BABA / AFP

 

 

Forcing Ukraine to Capitulate to the Kremlin's Demands?

"We all know how and why millions of our people died, starved to death, and millions were never born. And we are once again defending ourselves against Russia, which has not changed and is once again bringing death."

“We defended, defend, and will always defend Ukraine. Because only here is our home. And in our home, Russia will definitely not be the master."

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Holodomor Memorial Day

 

"[The President] outlined the fundamental principles that matter to our people, and following today's meeting, the parties agreed to work on the plan's provisions in a way that would bring about a just end to the war."

"[President Zelenskyy expects to discuss with Trump] the existing diplomatic opportunities and the key points required to achieve peace."

Ukrainian President Zelenskyy's office 

 

"[There would be consultations with Washington] on the possible parameters of a future peace agreement."

"Ukraine approaches this process with a clear understanding of its interests."

"This is another stage of the dialogue that has been ongoing in recent days and is primarily aimed at aligning our vision for the next steps."

Ukrainian national security council secretary Rustem Umerov 

President Zelenskyy and his wife, Olena, at a monument to victims of the Holodomor famine in the 1930s, in Kyiv on Saturday. He has warned his people the Trump peace plan presents Ukraine with an impossible choice. Photograph: AP

Yet another Trump peace plan for the Ukraine/Russia conflict. A proposal that reeks of capitulation to the Kremlin's base and basic demands. The belligerent imposing the rules. The defender treated as a second-class aspirant to protecting its homeland, its people, from a monstrous enemy, the Russia in its imperial mood of owning Ukraine in its totality. And yet another Russian president whose inspiration is the USSR and the lamented lapsed power of the Soviet colossus that gripped its neighbours in a forced net of compliance.

 

Who might have foreseen that Washington would one day value its tenuous relationship with Moscow, disfavouring most of Europe in the process, in a reversal of America's good shepherd tradition, preferring now to an accord with the wolves stalking the sheep. The die was cast when President Donald Trump and his entourage bullied, humiliated, threatened and coerced President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, forcing him to defend his nation under existential duress while  being lectured and hectored by those he thought were his partners in democracy.

 

Zelensky and Trump in the Oval Office in August. Photo: Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

 

The U.S. peace plan renewed, is simply renewing previous peace plan proposals, favouring Russia, punishing Ukraine. The defender's valiant response to its neighbour's invasion, costly in human life, in civil infrastructure, in refugees fleeing the horrors of nightly bombardments with the stalwart assistance of its European neighbours dismayed at the new American stance that benefits the aggressor and abandons universal justice is ignored for the courage displayed; instead blame is cast for prolonging the conflict rather than accepting a colossal loss and restoring 'peace'.

 

As far as President Donald Trump may be concerned, a 'weak' country invited a 'strong' country's invasion, and to the victor goes the spoils. Except that victory is far from assured for Russia, and the weak country has held its own and more, given the material and political support of Europe in general, and up until a relatively short while ago, that of the United States. A new, mercurial temperamented, irascible ego has been introduced that bristles at the very thought any of his positions and decisions might be questioned. And woe betide those that do.

 

The provisions of the new 'peace plan' complete with positions Ukraine has opposed. And which country under military invasion would not disagree over a demand to cede  strategically vital territory still under its protective auspices by a fatigued yet resolute military determined to uphold its part in its nation's battle for survival. Another 'provision' geared to completely obliterating any Ukrainian resistance to Russia's grasp of Ukrainian territory: agreeing to significant reductions in the size of its army. 

"We want a just peace that respects everyone's sovereignty, a durable peace that cannot be challenged by future aggression."

"But peace cannot be capitulation. We do not want the capitulation of Ukraine."

French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot  

Europe has called for an agreement beginning with a ceasefire along the present line of contact, with negotiations on territory and security guarantees to follow. Mykhailo Podolyak, an advisor to the Ukrainian President characterized the proffered plan as no more than Ukraine's 'unconditional capitulation'. A meeting on the weekend between Ukraine's advisers to their president and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff discussed reducing by half the size of the Ukrainian army.

 

Kyiv, in this process would be forced to cede all of the fortified Donetsk region to Russia. Ukraine's use of long-range weapons was to be banned. Foreign troops that Kyiv and its European backers deem critical to ensuring deterrence against Russia attacking once more, also ruled out. And finally, but not least, the recognition of Russian control of territories illegally seized.  

"We commend peace efforts but Europe is the main supporter of Ukraine, and it's of course Europe's security at stake, so we expect to be consulted."

"[Ukraine should not face restrictions on its ability to fight back; it was Russia] whose aggressive potential should be restricted."

Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski  

Rescuers work at the site of the apartment building hit by a morning Russian missile strike, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Ternopil, Ukraine, in this handout picture released November 19, 2025. Press service of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine/Handout via REUTERS

"We believe therefore that the draft is a basis which will require additional work. We are ready to engage in order to ensure that a future peace is sustainable. We are clear on the principle that borders must not be changed by force."

"We are also concerned by the proposed limitations on Ukraine's armed forces, which would leave Ukraine vulnerable to future attack."

"The implementation of elements relating to the European Union and relating to NATO would need the consent of EU and NATO members respectively."

Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Spain, the UK, Germany and Norway 

From left to right: European Council President António Costa, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Finland's President Alexander Stubb. BBC