President Trump addressed the Israeli Parliament after all 20 remaining hostages alive in Gaza returned to Israel, closing a chapter in the two-year war.
Uriel Abulof is a visiting professor in Cornell University’s government department and a professor of politics at Tel-Aviv University. Abulof says people shouldn’t mistake the deal reached between Israel and Hamas for a “peace deal.”
Abulof says: “It's a survival pact for leaders who thrive on conflict and enmity, from within and without. For two years, Netanyahu and Hamas have used this war to solidify their power, continuing a long-standing dynamic where each side's extremism justifies the other's. This agreement, forced upon them by external patrons like the U.S. and Qatar, is deliberately vague on core issues, allowing both to claim a win.
“Their shared, unspoken goal is to block a viable Palestinian Authority from governing Gaza. Consequently, lasting peace isn't on the table. The only path forward is through civic renewal, where Israelis and Palestinians replace leaders who see perpetual war as essential for staying in power.”
