The Trump show that accompanied the signing of the truce agreement (saying "peace" is a desire to deceive people), however you look at it, is a disgrace. And it's disturbing that the leaders of the Western world have protected him by going off to make a fool of themselves that may one day embarrass them. That the world's leading power has at its helm a figure devoid of dignity or respect, capable of saying anything and the opposite whenever he can capitalize on it to his advantage, is in itself an indication of a certain global confusion. But that his show features distinguished leaders of a democratic tradition courting him is hard to understand. Trump's speeches begin and end with himself. Listening to him, what he tells us is that he made peace and from now on he will make and unmake it, with delusional development projects that only fit in his head and that can only serve to further complicate the situation. Trump already has the medal; he didn't get the Nobel Prize, but he awarded himself with one of those ceremonies where everything revolves around his ego. And European leaders turned up one after another because the opportunity for peace cannot be underestimated.
Nothing of peace; they have simply stopped, not entirely, the weapons. Until when? Not a single step that might give signs of overcoming the dynamics of confrontation. With a grotesque fact: the absence of the main actors, the Palestinian and Israeli leaders. In other words, peace has been made without the protagonists of the conflict. And the message is that Trump's word can do anything. What will he do? Once he returns to the United States adorned with peacemaking glory, will it take long for him to forget all this? Peace without the parties involved is grotesque. And above all, knowing who they are: a Netanyahu who destroyed Gaza—with the complicity of a Trump who later became a peacemaker—with the support of his own people, and Hamas, the perpetrator of savage episodes of kidnappings and murder, who has delayed releasing the surviving hostages, a time in which the Jews have killed more than one. Is this a way to protect the Palestinians?
Everything remains to be done. How long will it take Trump to forget? Who should make good on the promise of peace that was celebrated in Egypt? Will the countries in the region that have been making moves recently, Qatar, Egypt, and company, guarantee its continuation? Everything is up in the air. President Sánchez, who went to Egypt and had to endure Trump's sneer—"He's doing very well"—told SER that what has been achieved is the release of prisoners and access for humanitarian aid to Gaza, and that now it remains to be seen what steps to take. No one goes much beyond generalities. Peace cannot mean impunity. And there are reasons to suspect that there may be those who believe they have the right to do as they please. Netanyahu will soon find reasons to feel attacked again.
It's clear that the icons of evil in this conflict should be removed from the scene, out of decency, basic credibility, and trust. The defense of international humanitarian law is not enough to simply state it; it must be effective, and dialogue between Israel and Palestine is essential. When and under what terms will it be opened? There can be no lasting peace if the actors must act as spectators. Only they can truly resolve the conflict. And this cannot be done with a tutelage biased toward one side. Everyone knows that Trump is not neutral, that there are far from innocent interests that have led him to this point. And that it is his ego, with its need for constant gratification, that has led him to a step that leaves a snapshot of the character controlling the scene with the pathetic submission of everyone else. These delusions last as long as they last, because Trump will always shift his ego to where he finds the most immediate reward.
It is disturbing to see the central role handed over to such a sinister figure. It forces us to ask ourselves where we are. What do we understand by civilization? No matter how much we are in a spectacle society, peace cannot be a show. We need to dig deep and really reorganize things, building commitments, institutions, and solid connections. Something that's missing in Gaza. And who will do it if we don't even know who will govern it? After Sunday, what?
