The Messiah Moment That Wasn’t: How Trump Turned The Gaza Peace Deal Into Prophecy And Flooded His Knesset Speech With Half-Truths, Holy Theatre | World News

Cairo (Egypt): When Israel and Hamas exchanged prisoners on October 13, which was expected to be the moment of victory, US President Donald Trump took the podium in the Knesset to applause and camera lights.

“This is not just the end of a war, but also the end of an age of terror and death, the beginning of an age of faith, hope and God,” he said, his voice echoing in the Israeli parliament.

He called it the “historic dawn of a new Middle East”. The audience listened in half-amazement, half-disbelief.

Trump talked about ceasefires, captives and miracles. Twenty Israelis were released by Hamas. Two hundred and fifty Palestinian political prisoners were released by Israel. Approximately 1,700 Gazan detainees returned home after months of disappearance. The US president claimed that all of this came from his “20-point plan” to end the war; This was a proposal as broad as it was vague.

After the speech, he flew to Egypt for the peace agreement signing summit. Cameras followed him as he signed the first phase of the peace agreement, watched by Arab and global leaders. According to the plan, a stabilization force will enter Gaza. Hamas will hand over power to a Palestinian committee that will be overseen by a “Peace Board” led by Trump along with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Theatre, diplomacy and self-congratulation in one frame. Trump called out his “great negotiator” Steve Witkoff and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He praised Israeli President Isaac Herzog and requested a pardon for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Then came Trump’s familiar tone, attacks on his predecessors Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and tales of heroism that required a closer look.

Claim 1: ‘I Finished 8 Wars in 8 Months’

This sentence was met with applause. But the truth tells a different story. Trump’s ceasefire efforts have touched many conflict zones, including Israel-Iran, India-Pakistan, and Armenia-Azerbaijan. Some calmed down, some flared up again. Others barely noticed.

In Africa, a ceasefire brokered between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda has rapidly broken down, with hundreds of people dead since June.

Even the “peace” between Cambodia and Thailand collapsed within weeks amid border clashes. The Nile dispute between Egypt and Ethiopia remains frozen.

And in Europe, Kosovo and Serbia have never been on the brink of war.

Experts say Trump’s claim that “eight wars have been concluded” is a fiction wrapped in diplomacy. The Gaza ceasefire may be a reality, but its durability remains uncertain.

Claim 2: ‘We Destroyed Iran’s Nuclear Sites by Dropping 14 Bombs’

It was the most explosive claim of the night. Trump referenced Operation Midnight Hammer, the secret US mission that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities in June. “We have completely destroyed them. This has been confirmed,” he said.

However, there is no such official confirmation. Satellite images and leaked reports remain inconclusive. The Fordow field, one of Iran’s most fortified positions, shows signs of damage but no destruction.

A New York Times report dated August 20 said “significant damage has likely occurred,” but added that “with so many unknowns, certainty may never come.”

For now, Trump’s claim vacillates between reality and fantasy.

Claim 3: ‘Iran Nuclear Deal Turned into a Disaster’

Trump’s favorite target was the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran during the Obama administration.

Tehran largely complied with this. International investigators confirmed this. The agreement limited uranium enrichment and opened the country to scrutiny. In return, sanctions were eased. It wasn’t permanent, but it worked.

Trump gave up on that in 2018. He promised a tougher renegotiation, but that never happened. This led to new sanctions, economic difficulties, and Iran stepping back towards nuclear capability. Experts say it wasn’t the deal that failed. It was a retreat.

Claim 4: ‘There Was Hatred Against Israel During the Obama and Biden Era’

The sentence galvanized social media and infuriated historians, who called it “not true.” They said both Obama and Biden strengthened Israel militarily and politically.

“Both administrations have overseen the expansion of U.S. military assistance and coordination with Israel,” they emphasized.

Obama’s 2016 deal sent Israel $38 billion over 10 years; this was the largest package in history. The funds improved Tel Aviv’s air fleets and missile defenses.

Biden continued this trend. Since the Gaza war began in 2023, US military aid to Israel has reached 21.7 billion dollars. He also deployed US troops near Israel and Gaza and vetoed many UN ceasefire resolutions.

Hate? Tough. Policy? Definitely.

Claim 5: ‘Obama and Biden Did Nothing with the Abraham Accords’

Trump’s attempt to claim credit for history missed the mark. Obama left office years before the Abraham Accords emerged. The 2020 agreement, created during Trump’s first term, brought Israel into closer ties with the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco. With the agreement coming into force, new embassies were opened, regular flights resumed and trade between the countries began to expand rapidly.

Biden has tried to extend this to Saudi Arabia. However, the plan collapsed on October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked and Israel responded with large force.

The idea of ​​official Israeli-Saudi relations has become much more elusive. Since then, Gaza has suffered unimaginable destruction; 68,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, were killed. Ninety-two percent of the houses were reduced to rubble. Two million people were trapped in the ruins.

No agreement can withstand this.

Trump left the Knesset smiling and waving, promising what he called “a world reborn by faith.” Outside the room, analysts pored over his speech, tallying the half-truths and unsubstantiated claims that filled it.

People all over the world recognized the familiar rhythm of his words; a magnificent tone and loaded with divinity but straying from reality. But in a region burning for peace, even legends can seem like salvation.