{"id":135523,"date":"2025-10-20T13:47:36","date_gmt":"2025-10-20T21:47:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/10\/20\/lasting-peace-in-israel-is-as-certain-as-canada-becoming-the-51st-state\/"},"modified":"2025-10-20T13:47:36","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T21:47:36","slug":"lasting-peace-in-israel-is-as-certain-as-canada-becoming-the-51st-state","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/2025\/10\/20\/lasting-peace-in-israel-is-as-certain-as-canada-becoming-the-51st-state\/","title":{"rendered":"Lasting Peace In Israel Is As Certain As Canada Becoming The 51st State"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"
(Image via Getty)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Think about the wars that Israel has had with its neighbors.<\/p>\n

\n

The first war was in 1948, when Israel came to exist.\u00a0Virtually the entire Arab world took up arms.\u00a0But Israel won its War for Independence, or \u201cnakbah,\u201d the disaster, depending on whose point of view you take, in a little over a year.\u00a0President Truman supported Israel diplomatically.\u00a0The war ended with the signing of the 1949 Armistice Agreement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Peace!\u00a0It was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps peace would last until 1956, when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, and Israel invaded the Sinai.\u00a0Israel captured the Sinai and continued to hold it after the ceasefire.\u00a0Ultimately, under pressure from President Dwight Eisenhower, Israel withdrew from Egypt.\u00a0Good idea, Ike!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019ll guarantee peace \u2014 which was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or at least until 1967, when Egypt blockaded the Straits of Tiran.\u00a0How long do you suppose it took Israel to win the Six-Day War?\u00a0After the war ended, President Lyndon Johnson began strengthening the political and military ties between the United States and Israel.\u00a0Good idea, LBJ!<\/p>\n

Peace! It was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or at least until Yom Kippur in 1973, when the Arab states launched a surprise attack to try to take back the territory that Israel had won during the Six-Day War. Israel repelled the attack.\u00a0President RichardNixon ordered an emergency airlift of military aid to Israel, and Henry Kissinger engaged in \u201cshuttle diplomacy\u201d to lay the groundwork for future peace.<\/p>\n

Ah \u2026 great peacemakers like Nixon and Kissinger.\u00a0I\u2019m sure the peace would last forever.<\/p>\n

To guarantee that the peace actually lasted, President Jimmy Carter initiated 12 days of secret negotiations at Camp David, which resulted in the Camp David Accords of 1978.\u00a0Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin ultimately signed an Egypt-Israel peace treaty, for which they both received the Nobel Peace Prize.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Nobel Peace Prize!\u00a0As I recall, Carter whined publicly that the Nobel Committee had given the prize to Sadat and Begin, when it was actually Carter who deserved it.<\/p>\n

Thin-skinned Democrats!<\/p>\n

The peace between Egypt and Israel has in fact been enduring, but peace among the rest of the crowd in the Middle East has been harder to come by. In 1982, the Palestine Liberation Organization attacked northern Israel from Lebanon.\u00a0Israel expelled the PLO from Beirut.\u00a0 President Ronald Reagan sent U.S. troops as part of a peacekeeping force.\u00a0The Marines stayed put until the bombing of the Beirut barracks in 1983, when the U.S. withdrew.<\/p>\n

Oh, well. No lasting peace there.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian uprising that was the First Intifada lasted for six years, from 1987 to 1993.\u00a0That led to international efforts for peace.\u00a0 President George H.W. Bush facilitated the Madrid Conference, which were the first direct talks between Israel and the Arab states.<\/p>\n

Good idea!\u00a0Lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Until the Second Intifada, which started in 2000.\u00a0President Bill Clinton hosted the Camp David Summit, and President George W. Bush introduced the Road Map for Peace, which was supported by the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of international support.\u00a0Finally, lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Until the Gaza Wars of \u2014 take a breath \u2014 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023 to 2024.\u00a0President Barack Obama called for ceasefires; President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and helped to negotiate the Abraham Accords between Israel and certain Arab states; President Joe Biden advocated ceasefires.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of presidential brainpower:\u00a0A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, a very stable genius, and an autopen.\u00a0Surely it led to lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Oops!<\/p>\n

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the most recent massive attack on Israel.\u00a0President Biden worked with Egypt and Qatar to secure the release of hostages and a potential ceasefire.\u00a0His efforts worked in the short term, but nothing permanent came of it.<\/p>\n

Until now!<\/p>\n

President Trump has announced his 20-point plan for lasting peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Unlike all those earlier failed peace efforts, Trump did what was necessary this time around: He summoned leaders from all around the world to come to Israel and tell Trump how great he is!\u00a0Why didn\u2019t any of those other American presidents recognize that this was the only way to secure lasting peace in the Middle East?<\/p>\n

Now that all those other leaders have sucked up to Trump, lasting peace is guaranteed!<\/p>\n

Look.<\/p>\n

I acknowledge what Trump has achieved: The release of the last of the living hostages; a promise to release the remains of the dead; a ceasefire in the region and a withdrawal of some Israeli troops.\u00a0That\u2019s not a bad start.\u00a0Good for Trump.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s been peace for damn near a week now.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ll bet the mortgage that this is not a lasting peace in the Middle East.\u00a0Hamas has not disarmed or said that it will.\u00a0There\u2019s no real plan for the future of Palestine.\u00a0And Trump seems more interested in receiving a prize than doing the work needed to build lasting peace.<\/p>\n

This is the one time when I\u2019m delighted that Trump will still be president for the next 3 1\/2 years.\u00a0That way, when the peace blows up, Trump will still be at the helm.\u00a0Trump won\u2019t be able to blame the new war on JD Vance, or Gavin Newsom, or whoever Trump\u2019s successor will be.<\/p>\n

No, no, no.<\/p>\n

Trump will realize that his plan was no better than plans that had been proposed in the past, and Trump will take the blame for the failure.<\/p>\n

Just kidding.<\/p>\n

The failure of this peace plan \u2014 which will occur on Trump\u2019s watch \u2014 will be the fault of Hamas, or Benjamin Netanyahu, or some splinter group within the Gaza Strip, or the Palestinian Authority, or that fool Tony Blair, or maybe you or me.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t blame Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

He, unlike every previous American president, has secured lasting peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

This one is forever.<\/p>\n

Give the man a Nobel Peace Prize and set down your arms.<\/p>\n

At last.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>inhouse@abovethelaw.com<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The post Lasting Peace In Israel Is As Certain As Canada Becoming The 51st State<\/a> appeared first on Above the Law<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Think about the wars that Israel has had with its neighbors.<\/p>\n

\n

The first war was in 1948, when Israel came to exist.\u00a0Virtually the entire Arab world took up arms.\u00a0But Israel won its War for Independence, or \u201cnakbah,\u201d the disaster, depending on whose point of view you take, in a little over a year.\u00a0President Truman supported Israel diplomatically.\u00a0The war ended with the signing of the 1949 Armistice Agreement.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

Peace!\u00a0It was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or perhaps peace would last until 1956, when Egypt nationalized the Suez Canal, and Israel invaded the Sinai.\u00a0Israel captured the Sinai and continued to hold it after the ceasefire.\u00a0Ultimately, under pressure from President Dwight Eisenhower, Israel withdrew from Egypt.\u00a0Good idea, Ike!\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

That\u2019ll guarantee peace \u2014 which was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or at least until 1967, when Egypt blockaded the Straits of Tiran.\u00a0How long do you suppose it took Israel to win the Six-Day War?\u00a0After the war ended, President Lyndon Johnson began strengthening the political and military ties between the United States and Israel.\u00a0Good idea, LBJ!<\/p>\n

Peace! It was sure to last forever.<\/p>\n

Or at least until Yom Kippur in 1973, when the Arab states launched a surprise attack to try to take back the territory that Israel had won during the Six-Day War. Israel repelled the attack.\u00a0President RichardNixon ordered an emergency airlift of military aid to Israel, and Henry Kissinger engaged in \u201cshuttle diplomacy\u201d to lay the groundwork for future peace.<\/p>\n

Ah \u2026 great peacemakers like Nixon and Kissinger.\u00a0I\u2019m sure the peace would last forever.<\/p>\n

To guarantee that the peace actually lasted, President Jimmy Carter initiated 12 days of secret negotiations at Camp David, which resulted in the Camp David Accords of 1978.\u00a0Egyptian President Anwar Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin ultimately signed an Egypt-Israel peace treaty, for which they both received the Nobel Peace Prize.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

The Nobel Peace Prize!\u00a0As I recall, Carter whined publicly that the Nobel Committee had given the prize to Sadat and Begin, when it was actually Carter who deserved it.<\/p>\n

Thin-skinned Democrats!<\/p>\n

The peace between Egypt and Israel has in fact been enduring, but peace among the rest of the crowd in the Middle East has been harder to come by. In 1982, the Palestine Liberation Organization attacked northern Israel from Lebanon.\u00a0Israel expelled the PLO from Beirut.\u00a0 President Ronald Reagan sent U.S. troops as part of a peacekeeping force.\u00a0The Marines stayed put until the bombing of the Beirut barracks in 1983, when the U.S. withdrew.<\/p>\n

Oh, well. No lasting peace there.<\/p>\n

The Palestinian uprising that was the First Intifada lasted for six years, from 1987 to 1993.\u00a0That led to international efforts for peace.\u00a0 President George H.W. Bush facilitated the Madrid Conference, which were the first direct talks between Israel and the Arab states.<\/p>\n

Good idea!\u00a0Lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Until the Second Intifada, which started in 2000.\u00a0President Bill Clinton hosted the Camp David Summit, and President George W. Bush introduced the Road Map for Peace, which was supported by the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of international support.\u00a0Finally, lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Until the Gaza Wars of \u2014 take a breath \u2014 2008, 2012, 2014, 2021, and 2023 to 2024.\u00a0President Barack Obama called for ceasefires; President Donald Trump recognized Jerusalem as Israel\u2019s capital and helped to negotiate the Abraham Accords between Israel and certain Arab states; President Joe Biden advocated ceasefires.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a lot of presidential brainpower:\u00a0A winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, a very stable genius, and an autopen.\u00a0Surely it led to lasting peace!<\/p>\n

Oops!<\/p>\n

On October 7, 2023, Hamas launched the most recent massive attack on Israel.\u00a0President Biden worked with Egypt and Qatar to secure the release of hostages and a potential ceasefire.\u00a0His efforts worked in the short term, but nothing permanent came of it.<\/p>\n

Until now!<\/p>\n

President Trump has announced his 20-point plan for lasting peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

Unlike all those earlier failed peace efforts, Trump did what was necessary this time around: He summoned leaders from all around the world to come to Israel and tell Trump how great he is!\u00a0Why didn\u2019t any of those other American presidents recognize that this was the only way to secure lasting peace in the Middle East?<\/p>\n

Now that all those other leaders have sucked up to Trump, lasting peace is guaranteed!<\/p>\n

Look.<\/p>\n

I acknowledge what Trump has achieved: The release of the last of the living hostages; a promise to release the remains of the dead; a ceasefire in the region and a withdrawal of some Israeli troops.\u00a0That\u2019s not a bad start.\u00a0Good for Trump.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s been peace for damn near a week now.<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ll bet the mortgage that this is not a lasting peace in the Middle East.\u00a0Hamas has not disarmed or said that it will.\u00a0There\u2019s no real plan for the future of Palestine.\u00a0And Trump seems more interested in receiving a prize than doing the work needed to build lasting peace.<\/p>\n

This is the one time when I\u2019m delighted that Trump will still be president for the next 3 1\/2 years.\u00a0That way, when the peace blows up, Trump will still be at the helm.\u00a0Trump won\u2019t be able to blame the new war on JD Vance, or Gavin Newsom, or whoever Trump\u2019s successor will be.<\/p>\n

No, no, no.<\/p>\n

Trump will realize that his plan was no better than plans that had been proposed in the past, and Trump will take the blame for the failure.<\/p>\n

Just kidding.<\/p>\n

The failure of this peace plan \u2014 which will occur on Trump\u2019s watch \u2014 will be the fault of Hamas, or Benjamin Netanyahu, or some splinter group within the Gaza Strip, or the Palestinian Authority, or that fool Tony Blair, or maybe you or me.<\/p>\n

But don\u2019t blame Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

He, unlike every previous American president, has secured lasting peace in the Middle East.<\/p>\n

This one is forever.<\/p>\n

Give the man a Nobel Peace Prize and set down your arms.<\/p>\n

At last.<\/p>\n

\n

Mark\u00a0Herrmann\u00a0spent 17 years as a partner at a leading international law firm and later oversaw litigation, compliance and employment matters at a large international company. He is the author of\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>The Curmudgeon\u2019s Guide to Practicing Law<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>Drug and Device Product Liability Litigation Strategy<\/em><\/strong><\/a>\u00a0(affiliate links). You can reach him by email at\u00a0<\/em><\/strong>[email\u00a0protected]<\/em><\/strong><\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(Image via Getty) Think about the wars that Israel has had with its neighbors. The first war was in 1948, when Israel came to exist.\u00a0Virtually the entire Arab world took up arms.\u00a0But Israel won its War for Independence, or \u201cnakbah,\u201d the disaster, depending on whose point of view you take, in a little over a […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":135504,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-135523","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-above_the_law"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/xira.com\/p\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/israel-usa-flags-GettyImages-1093197970-rGlHbk-scaled.jpg?fit=2560%2C1433&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=135523"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/135523\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/135504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=135523"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=135523"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/xira.com\/p\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=135523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}