Trump’s Gaza peace plan wins unexpected praise from MSNBC panelists
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President Donald Trump’s peace plan for the Middle East was praised Thursday by MSNBC panelists presidential historian Jon Meacham and Washington Post columnist David Ignatius.
“As always, it depends on how the episode ends. But the beginning of this episode is remarkable. And one of the things about integrity and citizenship and I would say maturity about what people in a democracy are supposed to do is that even if someone you disagree with on 99 things does 100 really well, you should say so, because that’s what intellectual honesty is. And so kudos to President Trump and his, as you say, unconventional team.” no matter what,” Meacham told MSNBC’s “Morning Joe.”
Hamas this week agreed to a peace deal under which Trump ends the war in Gaza and returns hostages, two years after the terror group attacked Israel on October 7, 2023.
Ignatius told the hosts that Trump was able to do what former President Joe Biden could not.
President Donald Trump speaks with top U.S. military commanders at Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia, Sept. 30, 2025. (Evan Vucci/AP Photo)
TRUMP ANNOUNCED 20-POINT PLAN FOR PEACE AND SECURITY IN GAZA, INCLUDING THE GRANTING OF ‘AMNESTY’ TO SOME HAMAS MEMBERS
“I remember about a month after October 7, a senior Israeli official said to me: ‘We are so confused and traumatized by this war that the United States will have to make decisions on our behalf.’ “Joe Biden could never do that, and he was able to do it — he did it at the decisive moment — when Donald Trump essentially said this war had to end and Israel couldn’t annex the West Bank, as many right-wing Israelis wanted,” he said.
Ignatius said Trump’s team, including US Special Representative for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, has reached out to Arabs and developed important relationships.
“What’s interesting about this is that Joe and Mika took ideas from all over the Arab world – from the UAE, from Qatar, from Saudi Arabia, from Britain’s Tony Blair – and put them all into one plan, with the support of the United States behind it. That’s how we got here. And in each case, it’s Trump who decides that these endless warriors can’t do it on their own. ‘I’m going to intervene forcefully.’ “Tragically, this is something Joe Biden failed to do, despite all his desire for peace,” he said.
President Donald Trump shakes hands with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in the White House State Dining Room on September 29, 2025. (Jim Lo Scalzo/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
DEFINITELY PRO-ISRAEL DEM SEN JOHN FETTERMAN CONGRATULATES TRUMP FOR ‘HISTORIC PEACE PLAN’
Trump announced on Truth Social on Wednesday: “I am very proud to announce that Israel and Hamas have signed the first Phase of our Peace Plan. This means that ALL Hostages will be released very soon and Israel will withdraw its Soldiers to an agreed upon line as the first steps towards a Strong, Enduring and Everlasting Peace. All Parties will be treated fairly! This is a GREAT day for the Arab and Muslim World, Israel. Surrounding Nations and We thank the United States of America and the mediators from Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye who worked with us to make this Historic and Unprecedented Event possible. How happy are those who make peace!”
Trump told Fox News’ Sean Hannity that he expects the hostages to be released on Monday. He said Thursday he might go to Israel next week.
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Trump said the “world came together” to secure the peace deal.
“Honestly, the whole world has come together. More countries than you would even think of have come together. The world has come together around this agreement,” he said on Wednesday.
Fox News’ Caitlin McFall, Jennifer Griffin, Efrat Lachter and Emma Bussey contributed to this report.
