Amidst a significant captive exchange between Israel and Hamas, former US President Donald Trump stood before the Israeli Knesset, declaring the day marked the end of an “age of terror” and the beginning of an “age of faith and hope.” He hailed the release of 20 Israelis and 250 Palestinian prisoners as a “historic dawn of a new Middle East,” attributing the success to his vaguely defined “20-point plan.”
Trump then traveled to Egypt to sign the first stage of what he termed his peace deal, a plan that reportedly included a stabilization force in Gaza and a shift in governance to a Palestinian committee overseen by a “Board of Peace” with himself at the helm. The occasion was presented as a grand diplomatic triumph, complete with acknowledgments of his negotiators and Israeli leaders.
However, a closer look at Trump’s declarations reveals a significant divergence from verifiable facts. His boast of “settled 8 wars in 8 months” appears largely unsubstantiated. While some conflicts saw temporary lulls, many continued unabated, and ceasefires brokered by his administration proved unstable. For instance, a truce in the Democratic Republic of Congo collapsed, leading to further casualties.
His assertion that “14 bombs” were dropped on Iranian nuclear sites, causing their obliteration, is also highly questionable. Official confirmations are lacking, and available evidence suggests damage rather than complete destruction, leaving the claim unverified.
Trump’s repeated criticism of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal is also met with skepticism from many experts. The deal, which had been implemented and verified by international bodies, was withdrawn from by Trump’s administration. Critics argue that this withdrawal, rather than the original agreement, precipitated Iran’s advancement in its nuclear capabilities.
Additionally, Trump’s assertion of “hatred toward Israel” under Obama and Biden is strongly refuted by historical data. Both presidents maintained robust military and political support for Israel, including record-breaking aid packages. His claim that the Abraham Accords were solely his initiative, with no contribution from prior administrations or follow-through by subsequent ones, is also misleading. While Obama was out of office before the accords, Biden made efforts to expand them, a process significantly hampered by the devastating events in Gaza and the ensuing humanitarian crisis.
