An Angel of Peace: Trump’s Diplomatic Breakthroughs in the M/East

By Keem Abdul

The landmark statement signed in the Egyptian resort of Sharm-el-Sheikh on Monday, October 13, 2025, not only made clear its signatories’ ambition to address the roots causes of the age-long conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, but it also recognized the central figure – nay, the driving force – of this latest breakthrough whose terms, if faithfully implemented, may spell the end of the conflict. Signed by US President Donald Trump; Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi; Qatar’s Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani; and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the statement said in part: “We …welcome the truly historic commitment … by all parties to the TRUMP PEACE AGREEMENT, ending more than two years of profound suffering and loss, opening a new chapter for the region defined by hope, security, and a shared vision for peace and prosperity …We support President Trump’s sincere efforts to end the war in Gaza and bring lasting peace to the Middle East ….”
Those words, against the background of a region plagued by mutual hatred, conflict and instability, a land known since Biblical days for its complex web of historical, cultural, and political tensions, were like a refreshing oasis in the middle of a parched and unforgiving desert.
This heartwarming breakthrough was the work of months of painstaking, high-stakes negotiations by various players – diplomats and political leaders alike – among them Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, who demonstrated unusual flexibility in shifting from his earlier insistence on the complete annihilation of Hamas as a precondition for peace, to work with Trump in seeking a solution. Another key player was Crown Prince Mohammed bin Zayed of the United Arab Emirates, who played a crucial role in navigating the complexities of Arab-Israeli relations. Also notable were the roles played by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff and the President’s son-in-law/adviser, Jared Kushner.
But it was unmistakably driven forward by the singular will of a man whose desire for world peace is matched by the force of his character and his uncanny ability to get things done. Since the return of Donald John Trump to office as Americas 47th President in January 2025, he has signaled his intention to depart from traditional approaches to M/East diplomacy. In the months since, he has, through a series of bold moves and strategic alliances, been able to bring sworn enemies to the negotiating table and to foster an environment conducive to dialogue and cooperation.
Addressing the Israeli parliament in Tel Aviv, the country’s capital, during his visit to the region for the signing of the ceasefire agreement and a discussion of postwar strategies with other leaders, Trump said (to chants of “Trump! Trump! Trump!” from the chamber) that the painful nightmare that began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas militants attacked a music festival in northern Israel, killed over 1200 Israelis, and abducted hundreds, was finally over. “This is not only the end of a war,” said Trump. “This is the end of an age of terror and death and the beginning of the age of faith and hope in God.”
As part of the ceasefire deal, which took effect after Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, Israel is releasing 250 Palestinian prisoners and more than 1,700 other Palestinians detained during the military operations in Gaza – in exchange for the last living Israeli hostages held by Hamas. This exchange will also include the return of the bodies of 28 dead Israeli hostages. Palestinians, too, are anticipating the release of more than 1,900 detainees held by Israel. The next phases of the Trump Plan are still being negotiated, even as Trump expressed confidence that the ceasefire would hold, and that a ‘Board of Peace’, he would lead would quickly be set up to administer the territory.
After the signing ceremony, Egypt’s President al-Sisi awarded Trump the Order of the Nile (Egypt’s highest civilian honour) praising the American leader for achieving a “historic milestone that ends an agonizing chapter”. Al-Sisi was not alone in his tributes to Trump. Members of Trump’s entourage wore red caps, but instead of his signature slogan ‘Make America Great Again’, the caps read ‘Trump the Peace President’. And in Tel Aviv, the Speaker of the Israeli Parliament declared that no one was more deserving of the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize than Trump.
The broad support it has received notwithstanding, however, the Gaza ceasefire remains fragile; it has a number of detractors – including from within the Israeli government itself, as well as the usual anti-Israel suspects in the region, notably Iran and its proxies such as the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement and the Houthis of Yemen. Interestingly, some Israeli lawmakers who want the war in Gaza to continue did not attend Trump’s address in parliament. Neither did the two most hardline members of Netanyahu’s coalition cabinet – Bezalel Smotrich, the finance minister, who supports settlement expansion and a complete blockade of any kind of aid to Gaza; and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the national security minister who advocates for the complete expulsion of Palestinians from the Gaza Strip.
President Trump’s efforts at fostering peace in the region through mutual understanding, economic partnership and cultural exchange predate the Gaza ceasefire. Since his first term, he has championed the Abraham Accords, a groundbreaking agreement between Israel and its Arab neighbours. So far, this historic deal has normalized relations between Israel and the UAE, S/Arabia and Bahrain – though the Saudis have tied their participation to the prospect of peace in Gaza. Other Arab states that have made preparations to establish diplomatic relations with Israel are Sudan and Morocco. Trump is actively trying to bring Syria and Lebanon on board as well. Thanks to the Accord, new trade and investment opportunities have emerged across the region, and people-to-people diplomacy has increased, promoting greater understanding and empathy.
These diplomatic efforts have left an indelible mark on the M/East. As the region continues to navigate the complexities of peace and stability, one thing is clear: the angel of peace has taken flight, and its impact will be felt for generations to come.
Will they earn him the Nobel Peace Prize next year? Time will tell.
But perhaps more than the Nobel, the President should feel a greater motivation at the prospect of a far more glorious reward: eternity in heaven. Incidentally, this is a subject on which Trump has, in recent comments, offered a very sombre assessment of his chances– in which he expressed his doubts about entering heaven at the end of his mortal journey. “I don’t think there’s anything going to get me into heaven…” he said candidly. “I think I’m not maybe heaven-bound.” After making those pessimistic remarks, however, Trump added a caveat, “… But I’ve made life a lot better for a lot of people.”
With his caveat, Trump seems to be echoing a sentiment expressed many years ago by the late hip-hop artist, Tupac Shakur, who, in his iconic song “Thugz Mansion” (from the posthumous album “Better Dayz”) expressed his desire to reach his thug mansion in heaven, and envisions a peaceful place where he can escape the hardships and violence of his life, surrounded by loved ones and legendary figures like Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday, and Malcolm X.
Incidentally, that is what this writer equally pleads for: one’s place in a heavenly thug mansion where I can perhaps get a presidential handshake from Donald Trump himself!
Although Christian doctrine teaches that salvation is earned through faith in Jesus Christ rather than by good deeds, Jesus did say in his Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” Perhaps as an indication of his heavenly prospects, it seems God has his hand on Trump. Last year, he came within millimetres from death when a would-be assassin’s bullet grazed his ear. And his triumphant return to the White House was on the back of 34 felony convictions which would have derailed a lesser politician.
True, Trump has not always been convincing on the issue of theology, but unlike many politicians in his country, he has been upfront about the primacy of Christianity in the fabric of American life. Coupled with his untiring efforts at peace, it is possible that Heaven, if not next year’s Nobel, will be his ultimate prize.

• Keem Abdul, a public relations guru, publisher and writer, hails from Lagos. He can be reached via text on +2349046303816 or Akeemabdul2023@gmail.com