It was an extraordinary day for Donald Trump and for Israel. Even as Air Force One touched down in Tel Aviv the 20 remaining hostages were being released, the crowds had gathered to chant his name and the Knesset was preparing to greet him as a hero like no other. It was a sweet moment for the American president but mostly for the families of the hostages still living after 738 days in captivity. The scenes of their emotional homecoming will be the abiding memory of the day.
It is easy for those outside the Middle East to forget the weight of faith and history on the region but yesterday’s events certainly reminded us of them. Speakers in the Israeli parliament quoted the Book of Genesis, compared Mr Trump to Cyrus the Great who freed the Jews from Babylon, and peppered their addresses with references to Joshua, David, the Maccabees and other ancient figures and institutions.
Moreover, anyone who thought Israel was isolated and cowed by international condemnation of their action in Gaza must have been astonished by the self-confidence and optimism on display in the Knesset.
Benjamin Netanyahu was lauded even if his handling of the crisis has not won universal approval in his homeland. The opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked those who had demonstrated weekly in cities like London against Israel, saying they had been deceived into believing there had been genocide and the intentional starvation of Palestinians.
Mr Trump asserted that Iran – the one big player not involved in yesterday’s events – had been permanently prevented from developing a nuclear weapon. He said a peace deal with Tehran “would be nice” and hinted that he would make an attempt to do that soon. “But first we have got to get Russia done, and we will get it done,” he said.
Even by Mr Trump’s standards this was a hubristic tour de force. “This is the dawn of a new Middle East,” he said. Would that this were true. History suggests it is far too premature to make such a declaration; but after the effort he has put in, Mr Trump was entitled to hope.
The president then headed to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for a summit involving more than 20 western and Arab leaders to lay the foundations for the future of Gaza and the rest of the region. He wants to rekindle the Abraham Accords, a lasting peace between the Arab nations and Israel. What it all means for the Palestinians, however, is unclear.
It was an extraordinary day for Donald Trump and for Israel. Even as Air Force One touched down in Tel Aviv the 20 remaining hostages were being released, the crowds had gathered to chant his name and the Knesset was preparing to greet him as a hero like no other. It was a sweet moment for the American president but mostly for the families of the hostages still living after 738 days in captivity. The scenes of their emotional homecoming will be the abiding memory of the day.
It is easy for those outside the Middle East to forget the weight of faith and history on the region but yesterday’s events certainly reminded us of them. Speakers in the Israeli parliament quoted the Book of Genesis, compared Mr Trump to Cyrus the Great who freed the Jews from Babylon, and peppered their addresses with references to Joshua, David, the Maccabees and other ancient figures and institutions.
Moreover, anyone who thought Israel was isolated and cowed by international condemnation of their action in Gaza must have been astonished by the self-confidence and optimism on display in the Knesset.
Benjamin Netanyahu was lauded even if his handling of the crisis has not won universal approval in his homeland. The opposition leader Yair Lapid attacked those who had demonstrated weekly in cities like London against Israel, saying they had been deceived into believing there had been genocide and the intentional starvation of Palestinians.
Mr Trump asserted that Iran – the one big player not involved in yesterday’s events – had been permanently prevented from developing a nuclear weapon. He said a peace deal with Tehran “would be nice” and hinted that he would make an attempt to do that soon. “But first we have got to get Russia done, and we will get it done,” he said.
Even by Mr Trump’s standards this was a hubristic tour de force. “This is the dawn of a new Middle East,” he said. Would that this were true. History suggests it is far too premature to make such a declaration; but after the effort he has put in, Mr Trump was entitled to hope.
The president then headed to Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt for a summit involving more than 20 western and Arab leaders to lay the foundations for the future of Gaza and the rest of the region. He wants to rekindle the Abraham Accords, a lasting peace between the Arab nations and Israel. What it all means for the Palestinians, however, is unclear.