This week, Donald Trump faced a defining moment in his meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and chose real concrete measures that break with past illusions of peace which have perpetuated further war.
Trump’s recent statement suggesting that Gaza’s population be accepted into surrounding countries is not an endorsement of displacement but an opportunity to allow Palestinians to escape from what has been termed an open-air prison and to rebuild a livable space for economic development and peaceful coexistence.
Today, civilians in Gaza are trapped as human shields for Hamas; the more who die, the more they suffer, the more Hamas benefits from global propaganda.
Progress Requires Bold Thinking
Trump is seizing a unique opportunity to break the decades-long stagnation that followed the failed 1993 Oslo Accords. He recognizes that Israel’s military response to the Hamas barbarous October 7 attacks has not only been effective but has also reshaped the regional strategic landscape.
For too long, world leaders have clung to the illusion that establishing a Palestinian state that their leaders have designed not for governance but for war would bring peace. European nations, international organizations, and some U.S. political factions continue to push for immediate statehood, effectively advocating for a terrorist-run entity in perpetual conflict with Israel.
No nation in history has been founded with the destruction of its neighbor as its core purpose, yet that is precisely what is being proposed.
The Lies That Fuel War
The greatest threat today is not just military escalation but the war on truth. Israel, the victim of the October 7 massacre, is being framed as the aggressor, while Hamas - an organization that slaughtered civilians and took hostages — is falsely portrayed as a resistance movement. Propaganda-driven protests seek to rewrite history in real time, turning Israel’s battlefield successes into a distorted narrative of defeat and undermining the credibility of U.S. academic institutions as places of objective study.
Policy Steps to Advance Trump’s Reconstruction Plan
First establish a Hamas-Free Zone in Northern Gaza that can proceed alongside the second phase of the ceasefire negotiations and reinforce U.S. policy ensuring Iran never acquires nuclear weapons.
A designated area in northern Gaza should be carved out as a model for reconstruction. The U.S., Israel, and financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank should lead its funding and development.
This initiative would shift security efforts toward separating this zone from Hamas-controlled areas in the south. Israel has previously succeeded in building a more than 300-mile security barrier along the West Bank to prevent terror attacks; a similar approach could safeguard this zone.
A critical element of this plan is that it does not initially require Arab states to accept Palestinian refugees. Instead, it presents a viable alternative that regional players, who increasingly recognize the dangers of an unchecked Iran, could support. And it sends a clear message to extremists: aggression carries real consequences.
Additional Policy Measures to Reconstruct Gaza
- Hostage-taking must be treated as an international war crime akin to the use of chemical weapons warranting the most severe penalties for any country that directly or indirectly supports these activities.International organizations that fail to adopt this principle should see their U.S. funding reduced or revoked.
- The U.S. should continue sanctioning members of international courts that abuse their authority by disproportionately targeting Israel while ignoring egregious human rights violations elsewhere.
- The well-being of Palestinians in refugee camps across Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria numbering an estimated 4 million people, who for some totally incomprehensible reason, have been forgotten must be addressed. Palestinian refugees should not be used as political pawns, and responsibility for their future should be expanded beyond Israel to include these neighboring Arab countries where all refugee camps are located.
A Defining Moment
For decades, Israel has won military conflicts, only to see international actors including the UN and European governments undermine its success and prolong hostilities by pretending that Israel is the aggressor. This cycle must end.
Since Israel’s founding, terrorism has been the preferred weapon of its enemies. The October 7 massacre was not an anomaly but a continuation of a long-standing strategy, this time on an unprecedented scale. But the world can no longer look away.
Trump has the power to ensure that this time is different. By resisting the temptation of short-term appeasement, he can break the cycle of war and false peace. This is his moment to champion a resolution that doesn’t merely delay the next conflict but creates the conditions for lasting stability.
The path toward eliminating Palestinian quagmire and rebuilding Gaza must be rooted in reality, not in wishful thinking. A first phase in the reconstruction of Gaza, free from Hamas, is a positive step for Israel, for the future of the Middle East, and for America’s role as both peace broker and the world’s most steadfast opponent of terrorism
Mark L. Cohen has his own legal practice and was counsel at White & Case starting in 2001, after serving as international lawyer and senior legal consultant for the French aluminum producer Pechiney. Cohen was a senior consultant at a Ford Foundation Commission, an adviser to the PBS television program "The Advocates," and Assistant Attorney General in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. He teaches U.S. history at the business school in Lille l'EDHEC. Read Mark L. Cohen's Reports — More Here.
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