Both the outgoing and incoming US presidents patted themselves on the back after announcing a deal that, if implemented, would halt fighting in Gaza and guarantee the return of the hostages that Hamas has been holding for more than a year.
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On the way out of office, President Joe Biden on Wednesday celebrated a major foreign policy victory with the completion of a proposed ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that the United States helped craft. Not surprisingly, Donald Trump and his allies tried to claim the lion’s share of the credit for the agreement that aims to pause military operations in Gaza in exchange for the return of hostages that Hamas has been holding since the terrorist groups attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
While similar claims on other issues, like the positive employment figures from earlier this month, are ludicrous, all parties agreed that having Trump’s team, and especially incoming Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff, involved in the negotiations helped.
That includes Biden.
“This plan was developed and negotiated by my team, and it will be largely implemented by the incoming administration,” the president said at the start of his farewell address. “That’s why I told my team to keep the incoming administration fully informed.”
Others gave Trump even more credit, for example State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
“When it comes to the involvement of President-elect Trump’s team, it’s been absolutely critical in getting this deal over the line,” he told reporters, adding that it was imperative that everybody at the negotiating table knew that the US spoke with one voice and that promises made by Biden would be kept by Trump.
In addition, the incoming president has a far better relationship with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which likely also helped convince him to get the deal, which is still awaiting final approval, done.
While Israel is dominating the conflict militarily, its attacks on Gaza have killed tens of thousands and caused a major backlash in the international community.
According to the White House and the prime minister’s office, Netanyahu spoke with Biden and Trump Wednesday and thanked each of them for their help in crafting the proposed deal.
Of course, the incoming president felt that he deserved more than partial credit.
First, he jumped the gun on announcing the deal on his social media platform.
“WE HAVE A DEAL FOR THE HOSTAGES IN THE MIDDLE EAST,” he wrote. “THEY WILL BE RELEASED SHORTLY. THANK YOU!”
It is somewhat surprising that he did not write “THANK ME!” for that was the tenor of a subsequent statement.
“This EPIC ceasefire agreement could have only happened as a result of our Historic Victory in November, as it signaled to the entire World that my Administration would seek Peace and negotiate deals to ensure the safety of all Americans, and our Allies,” Trump stated. “We have achieved so much without even being in the White House. Just imagine all of the wonderful things that will happen when I return to the White House, and my Administration is fully confirmed, so they can secure more Victories for the United States!”
While it may have been a joint effort to get this deal, which Biden says is based on the framework for an agreement that he offered last May, across the finish line, Trump now owns it.
And this is not like assuming control over an economy that is performing quite well and then maintaining it.
While the ceasefire agreement, if approved by all sides, would eliminate one possible problem from Trump’s plate, it remains to be seen whether it will hold.
If it does, it’s great for everybody involved. If it falls apart, however, then it will do so under Trump’s watch, i.e., that of a president who styles himself as a negotiator who can dictate anybody terms through strength and who is a guarantor for peace.
And, in light of the volatility of the Middle East, that may prove to be a lot more difficult than “just” keeping the jobs market booming.
In his Navigating the Insanity columns, Klaus Marre provides the kind of hard-hitting, thought-provoking, and often humorous analysis you won’t find anywhere else.
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