THE high-profile meeting between US President Donald Trump and key Muslim leaders on the sidelines of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) came at a time when the Gaza Strip is facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in modern history.
And yet, the meeting ended without producing a tangible plan for peace, a roadmap for a ceasefire or even a unified statement. Once again, an opportunity for meaningful diplomacy was squandered.
Earlier, in his speech at the UNGA, President Trump set a troubling tone. He used the global platform not to advocate for peace or balance, but to criticize the growing international momentum for the recognition of a Palestinian State. He declared that such recognition would be tantamount to rewarding what he described as “horrible atrocities” by Hamas — completely ignoring the brutal, ongoing assault by Israel on Gaza, where entire neighborhoods have been flattened, thousands of civilians have been killed and the survivors are enduring starvation, disease and displacement. Trump’s remarks were not only one-sided — they were morally blind. By focusing solely on Hamas and the release of hostages, and by opposing Palestinian statehood outright, he sent a dangerous message: that the United States continues to stand firmly with the oppressor, rather than the oppressed. While he spoke of ending the war, he failed to condemn the daily bombings, the blockade of aid or the policies of collective punishment inflicted by Israel on a defenseless civilian population. What the world expects from the US Administration is to use its influence over Israel for an immediate ceasefire. It must push for the opening of humanitarian corridors, the delivery of essential aid and the restoration of basic services in Gaza. Most importantly, it must recognize — not reject — the legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian people for freedom and statehood. The opposition to Palestinian statehood voiced by President Trump is not only unjust; it is politically short-sighted. Peace will never come by denying the people their rights. Recognition of a Palestinian State is not a reward for violence — it is a necessary step toward a just and lasting resolution to a decades-long conflict. The cries of Palestinian people are not just a regional concern — they are a global moral test. The time to end this war is now. And the responsibility to do so lies most heavily on those who have the power to make it happen — starting with the US.
