Donald Trump has unveiled his “21-point peace plan” for Israel and Gaza. Let’s call it what it is: not a roadmap for peace, but a 21-step audition for the Nobel Peace Prize.
Trump doesn’t just want to end wars—he wants his name engraved next to Mandela and Rabin. He wants the medal, the handshake, the magazine covers. It’s classic Trump: a peace plan with his name in lights and everyone else cast as supporting actors.
But for Israel, the plan is a loaded trap. It calls for troop withdrawals from Gaza, international oversight of security, Palestinian Authority control, and a freeze on annexation. In other words: Israel makes concessions, terrorists reload, and Washington smiles for the cameras. Reject it outright, and Israel risks being branded the peace-killer. Accept it, and Israel risks becoming the security-suicide. That’s the bind.
So how does Israel survive Trump’s peace theater without wrecking his Nobel dreams? By leaning into Trump’s favorite language: optics, branding, spin.
First, give him headlines. Israel should embrace the easy points—hostage release, humanitarian reconstruction, temporary ceasefires. Those alone generate splashy images: aid trucks rolling into Gaza, freed families hugging on TV. Trump gets the photo-ops he craves. He can strut on stage declaring, “Nobody’s ever done peace like this before. Everybody said it was impossible—but I did it. Maybe even Nobel!”
Second, turn the tough clauses into conditions. Want Israeli troops out of Gaza? Fine—after Hamas disarms completely and hands over every rocket. Want the Palestinian Authority running the Strip? Sure—after it reforms itself into something less corrupt and less addicted to “pay for slay.” Want international peacekeepers? Okay—if they let Israel act unilaterally against any terrorist cell. Conditions so steep they’ll never be met, but dressed up as good-faith engagement.
Third, control the story. Israel should say, loudly: “We want peace. We welcome Trump’s vision. But peace must be built on security.” Every delay is responsibility, not rejection. Every objection is prudence, not sabotage. Let the Palestinians be the ones to scream “no.” When they do—as they inevitably will—Trump can still sell the attempt as “historic progress,” and Israel stays out of the blame game.
Critics will scoff: why not just rip the plan to shreds? Because Trump’s ego doesn’t work that way. He thrives on loyalty, flattery, and the illusion of progress. Israel gains nothing by humiliating him. It gains everything by playing along—up to the line, never past it.
This isn’t about peace. It’s about theater. Trump wants a Nobel stage with himself at the center, Israel as the dutiful partner, and the Palestinians as the villains who blew it. Fine. Let him have his play. Israel just needs to make sure it doesn’t confuse Trump’s script with its survival strategy.
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