If peace in the Middle East were a stage play, then Washington has once again provided the theatre, the script, and the spotlight. Earlier this week, President Donald Trump rolled out what was billed as a “new proposal” to end the Gaza war.
Standing beside him, Benjamin Netanyahu looked more triumphant than weary, despite presiding over one of the most devastating conflicts of our time. For Netanyahu, it was almost everything he could have hoped for. For Palestinians, it was déjà vu wrapped in another layer of uncertainty.
The details were striking in their familiarity. Hamas is told to release hostages and surrender its weapons immediately. Israeli forces, far from withdrawing, will remain stationed along Gaza’s borders for the foreseeable future.
The Palestinian Authority, weakened and discredited, is relegated to a waiting room until it performs what Netanyahu dismissively called a “miraculous transformation.”
As for Palestinian statehood -- that perennial promise -- it appears only as a faint outline, a horizon that keeps receding whenever anyone tries to walk toward it.
This was not negotiation; it was dictation. The choreography of the White House press conference made that clear. The plan read less like a roadmap to peace than a declaration of control.
No story about Trump’s Middle East adventures is complete without mentioning Jared Kushner, his son-in-law and a figure whose political rise has been as swift as it has been controversial. He has mastered the art of moving between politics and business as though there were no line dividing the two.
On the very day this Gaza plan was unveiled, Kushner also announced a $55 billion private takeover of the video-game giant Electronic Arts, bankrolled largely by Saudi money.
For Palestinians, the so-called offer is a cruel bargain. The violence may stop -- a tempting relief after two years of relentless bombing and displacement -- but at what cost? The elected leadership is sidelined, Gaza remains under indefinite foreign supervision, and Israel retains the right to strike at will if conditions are not met.
It is worth remembering that since the Oslo Accords of 1993, every new plan has promised a pathway to independence. Each time, the path has narrowed, the conditions multiplied, and the horizon drifted further away.
For Netanyahu, this is a rare diplomatic win in a season of isolation. Only days ago, he addressed a half-empty hall at the United Nations, abandoned by allies tired of Israel’s intransigence.
Civil society campaigns are mounting pressure across the globe. Yet beside Trump, Netanyahu appeared once more as the indispensable partner, the man who could dictate terms and still be applauded.
But his triumph may prove fragile. The Israeli far right, which dreams of permanent annexation, has balked at even the vague reference to a future Palestinian state. Arab states, while offering cautious support, continue to insist on a full withdrawal -- something this plan does not provide. And Palestinians themselves, the people meant to live with the consequences, are unlikely to accept indefinite subjugation wrapped in the language of peace.
Equally striking is the muted response from Arab and Muslim capitals. Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, and the UAE have all hinted at cooperation, despite their earlier insistence on Israeli withdrawal. Economic and security ties with Washington seem to weigh more heavily than solidarity with Gaza.
This silence is dangerous. It risks widening the gulf between Arab governments and their citizens, who remain deeply sympathetic to the Palestinian cause. It risks leaving the Palestinian question in the hands of non-Arab actors such as Turkey and Iran. And it signals to Israel that it can continue to dictate terms without fear of regional pushback.
Strip away the formalities, and what remains is theatre. Trump and Netanyahu share a stage, the script is written in Jerusalem, and the audience is expected to applaud. Kushner, always in the wings, ensures that business and politics blend seamlessly.
Tony Blair, the former British prime minister, too, plays his part, offering the imprimatur of European statesmanship while quietly advancing a model that leaves Palestinians little agency.
The tragedy is that for Palestinians, this theatre is not entertainment but reality. For Gazans huddled in camps, the applause in Washington is irrelevant to the daily struggle for survival.
And yet, theatre matters. It shapes perception, buys time, and creates the illusion of progress. Netanyahu can return home claiming he has secured Israel’s interests. Trump can boast of another historic deal. Blair can present himself once more as the indispensable mediator. Everyone wins -- except the people for whom the deal is supposedly made.
Real peace requires honesty, and honesty begins with acknowledging power. Israel is the occupying force. Palestinians are the occupied. Any plan that ignores this basic fact is doomed. Real peace also requires accountability. Occupation, blockade, and collective punishment cannot be legitimized by endless talk of security. And finally, real peace requires inclusion. A deal that excludes Hamas, sidelines the Palestinian Authority, and disregards Arab public opinion is not a deal at all. It is a pause between wars.
The images from the White House may reassure some that diplomacy is alive. But those who look more closely will see something else: Not diplomacy but performance, not reconciliation but spectacle.
As long as Palestinian voices remain marginal, as long as statehood is treated as a mirage, and as long as power is mistaken for justice, the conflict will persist.
Trump’s plan may mark a rare moment of triumph for Netanyahu. For Blair, it marks another chapter in his long pursuit of influence under the guise of mediation. For Gaza, it marks another chapter in a long story of imposed solutions. And for the rest of us, it is a cautionary tale about the dangers of confusing deal-making with peace-making.
Md Kawsar Uddin, Associate Professor, Department of English and Modern Languages, IUBAT -- International University of Business Agriculture and Technology.
