When Donald Trump suddenly began talking about a “20-point peace plan” for Gaza, it immediately raised suspicion. To understand why, one must revisit Trump’s political record. During his first presidency, he was one of the most pro-Israel presidents in U.S. history. He moved the U.S. embassy to Jerusalem, recognized Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, and consistently defended Israeli actions, no matter how violent or controversial. His tone during the ongoing Gaza war has been the same: unapologetically pro-Israel. His public statements reveal not only sympathy but strategic alignment with Netanyahu’s long-standing ambition of seizing Gaza.
So the question arises: why is Trump suddenly talking about peace? Has his worldview changed? Or is this yet another carefully staged maneuver? From a critical lens, the answer is obvious. This so-called peace initiative is not about the lives of Gaza’s children, not about ending the siege, and not about justice for Palestinians. Instead, it is about managing global pressure, repackaging aggression as diplomacy, and neutralizing the growing wave of anger against Israel worldwide.
The Illusion of Peace: When Occupation Wears a New Mask
Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has revealed a disturbing truth: overwhelming military might does not guarantee victory, but it does guarantee destruction. Despite months of bombardment, targeted assassinations, and a campaign that many international observers have labeled genocidal, Israel has failed to eliminate Hamas as a political or military force. Instead, the brunt of its aggression has fallen on civilians — families torn apart, homes reduced to rubble, and children buried beneath the ruins. This cruelty has not broken Gaza’s resistance; rather, it has strengthened international outrage, creating a storm of protests that stretch from Washington D.C. to Kuala Lumpur. Israel now finds itself increasingly isolated in global public opinion, its carefully constructed image of “self-defense” collapsing under the weight of undeniable atrocities.
It is in this climate of rising condemnation that the so-called “peace initiatives” have surfaced. The Trump-Netanyahu vision of a twenty-point peace agreement is less a blueprint for coexistence and more a desperate attempt at narrative control. They are not talking about peace because they suddenly discovered compassion for Palestinians. They are talking about peace because the world’s anger is becoming unmanageable. The optics of diplomacy serve as a distraction: a shiny mask meant to cover the bloodied face of occupation. By shifting headlines from massacres to negotiations, they hope to calm international pressure, stall accountability, and regain control of the discourse.
But history teaches us to be skeptical. Trump’s first term in office demonstrated where his loyalties lie: in unconditional support for Israel’s expansionist ambitions. From recognizing Jerusalem as Israel’s capital to endorsing illegal settlements, his policies were a gift basket to Netanyahu’s far-right agenda. Netanyahu himself has built his entire political career on the promise of crushing Palestinian resistance and tightening Israeli control over occupied lands. These are not men of peace; they are tacticians of power. Their sudden embrace of “peace” is not a change of heart — it is a change of strategy.
Ultimately, the illusion of peace is more dangerous than open war. At least in war, oppression is visible, the suffering undeniable. But when warlords wrap themselves in the language of peace, they confuse the narrative, weaken solidarity, and buy time for their next offensive. The Trump-Netanyahu plan must therefore be read not as an olive branch but as a weapon of delay and deception. It is an effort to pacify global opinion, to paralyze Arab and Muslim leaders into submission, and to steal what remains of Palestinian land under the cover of diplomacy. True peace will never come from occupiers rebranding themselves as peacemakers. It will only come when justice, accountability, and genuine liberation replace occupation, apartheid, and exploitation.
Qatar Under Attack: A Strategy of Fear
The attack on Qatar cannot be understood in isolation — it is part of a carefully choreographed strategy of intimidation and control. For decades, Qatar has positioned itself as a small but influential actor in regional politics. Unlike some of its Gulf neighbors, it has consistently voiced support for the Palestinian cause, hosting political leaders, funding reconstruction efforts, and serving as a mediator between conflicting parties. This independent streak has long irritated both Israel and its Western backers, especially Washington. By targeting Qatar, directly or indirectly, they are sending a chilling signal to the rest of the Arab world: “If even Qatar can be pressured, no one is safe.” The strategy is to instill fear, to make every smaller state think twice before challenging the Israeli-American axis.
At its core, the campaign against Qatar is less about Doha itself and more about shaping Arab political psychology. It is a message to the region’s elites that neutrality or dissent will not be tolerated, and that financial, political, or even military pressure will follow any deviation from the script. This weaponization of fear is designed to strip the Arab world of what little sovereignty it retains in foreign policy. For Israel, silencing Qatar means cutting off one of the few remaining platforms that consistently highlight Palestinian suffering on the global stage. For the U.S., it is about eliminating an alternative voice within the Gulf that could disrupt the emerging alignment with Saudi Arabia and Israel.
This context makes the sudden Saudi–Pakistan security pact far more than a routine defense agreement. It is part of a broader reward-punishment system, engineered to reshape Muslim world politics. While Qatar is being punished for its refusal to bend, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan are being rewarded for playing along. Both countries have been granted diplomatic recognition, investment promises, and security guarantees — incentives meant to showcase what “cooperation” looks like under the new regional order. In essence, while Gaza is reduced to rubble, two of the Muslim world’s most influential states are being paid off to look the other way. This is not strategic partnership; it is political bribery dressed up as diplomacy.
The tragedy here is twofold. First, the people of Gaza are left even more isolated, betrayed not only by their enemies but also by those who should have been their protectors. Second, the Arab and Muslim world is being pushed into a manufactured hierarchy: those who resist are punished into silence, and those who comply are rewarded into complicity. Qatar’s ordeal is therefore not just about one state under pressure — it is about the erosion of collective Arab agency. The attack on Qatar reveals the ruthless logic of power in today’s Middle East: peace is a slogan, war is a reality, and bribery is the glue holding this hypocrisy together.
The Game of Deception: Trump and Netanyahu’s Calculated Moves
Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu are not reckless actors stumbling into peace rhetoric — they are seasoned political tacticians who understand how to manipulate global perception. Both men are fully aware of the power of imagery and timing. As Gaza burns and the corpses of children dominate international headlines, sympathy for Palestinians grows exponentially. Protests in Western capitals, boycotts against Israeli goods, and mounting pressure on governments to act have created a crisis of legitimacy for Israel. In such moments, brute military power becomes counterproductive.
It is here that the pivot to “peace” becomes a carefully choreographed performance. By suddenly speaking of negotiations and agreements, Trump and Netanyahu hope to reset the narrative. The bombs may continue to fall, but the headlines shift: from “Israel accused of genocide” to “new peace plan on the table.” It is a classic propaganda maneuver — not to change reality on the ground, but to change the way the world sees it.
Yet behind this diplomatic theater lies a darker truth. The so-called “peace” is not designed to restore Palestinian dignity, freedom, or sovereignty. On the contrary, it is engineered to solidify occupation under the guise of legitimacy. It fragments Arab unity by co-opting states like Saudi Arabia and Pakistan with promises of security pacts and economic incentives, while simultaneously isolating Qatar and silencing dissenters. The ultimate aim is not reconciliation but normalization: making the occupation appear permanent, acceptable, and even inevitable.
The most painful dimension of this strategy is not just its cruelty, but its effectiveness — made possible by the silence and complicity of much of the Muslim world. Instead of standing united against injustice, many Muslim governments accept bribes in the form of defense deals, aid packages, and political favors. This betrayal transforms Trump and Netanyahu’s deception into a global success: they do not need to win the war in Gaza, because they are winning the war of narratives and alliances.
Muslim World’s Silence: The Final Betrayal
At this moment, Muslim leadership across the globe is displaying unprecedented weakness. Instead of uniting behind the people of Gaza, many governments are content with symbolic statements, cautious diplomacy, or outright silence. Some even accept deals and incentives in exchange for compliance. This is not just political cowardice — it is moral bankruptcy.
The Muslim world today stands at the edge of total surrender, watching helplessly while the most oppressed population on earth — Palestinians in Gaza — are stripped of their homes, their lives, and their future. By accepting Trump’s “peace” narrative without resistance, these governments are not only betraying Gaza but also betraying the very idea of justice in the Muslim ummah.
The Hard Truth
Trump’s 20-point peace plan is not a peace plan at all. It is the latest maneuver in a long series of deceptions. It is about reshaping global perception, buying silence from Muslim governments, and reframing occupation as reconciliation. The true victims — the children of Gaza, the displaced families, the broken communities — remain invisible in this diplomatic theater.
The world must understand: this is not peace; this is plunder wrapped in diplomacy. Netanyahu and Trump are not offering justice — they are playing a game of survival for their own political and strategic interests. And tragically, the Muslim world’s silence is giving them the space to succeed.
