"The proposal, which contained Mr. Trump’s 20-point cease-fire plan, also envisions a 'Board of Peace' to oversee the peace plan, though it does not clarify the composition of the board. The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and zero votes against. Russia and China, either of which could have vetoed it, abstained, apparently swayed by the support for the resolution from a number of Arab and Muslim nations: Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, as well as Indonesia, Turkey and Pakistan, which is a member of the Council."
November 18, 2025
"The United Nations Security Council on Monday approved President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, a breakthrough that provides a legal U.N. mandate..."
"... for the administration’s vision of how to move past the cease-fire and rebuild the war-ravaged Gaza Strip after two years of war. The Council’s vote was also a major diplomatic victory for the Trump administration. For the past two years, as the conflict between Israel and Hamas has raged, the United States had been isolated at the United Nations over its staunch support for Israel. The U.S. resolution calls for an International Stabilization Force to enter, demilitarize and govern Gaza."
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85 comments:
Nobel.
Wasn’t Joe Biden supposed to be the experienced foreign policy President?
I wonder how the UN ants feel now that Trump is disrupting their Machiavellian politics.
Trump's plan does not take into account the perfidy and treachery of the western nations who will fill the river of arms that will flow to Hamas. As in the past, "aid" will be simply another weapon in the Hamas arsenal. The important thing to note is that most nations want Hamas to win, and will not participate meaningfully in any effort that lessens the power of those violent, sadistic brutes. Israel knows: we'll have to do this all over again in a few years.
Surprising nobody vetoed just to ‘get trump’. Good for them…I hope it works…
Any initiative that goes Trump‘s Way is automatically suspicious.
Another distraction from the Epstein files.
I don’t envision Hamas switching careers and ‘learning to code.’
A contest: Predict what the Messaging Machine's posture will be on this.
Furries for Hamas are incandescently angry at this news.
Me? I am positively chuffed.
Didn't Hamas come out just a few days ago and say they would never under any circumstances accept this plan?
Enigma said...
I wonder how the UN ants feel now that Trump is disrupting their Machiavellian politics.
There’s a funny demotivational poster available from despair.com that reads “Consulting: When you’re not part of the solution, there’s good money to be made by prolonging the problem.”
This applies to so much more than just consulting. For example, diplomacy. Diplomats at the UN and state departments around the world live a good life. What would happen to their lifestyles if they actually solved problems?
Can you believe this asshole NOT staring WWIII, I mean WTF? He was supposed to start WWIII. I was assured by the best minds he would cause nuclear war. Can't Trump do anything right?
so, i ASSUME, that this means;
that Next Year's Nobel Peace Prize will go to: Greta Thunberg?
A contest: Predict what the Messaging Machine's posture will be on this
Hitler made peace deals too.
Well obviously
Don't know if this will happen, but aren't you glad you don't wake up to the news and feel dread that Trump may succeed with bringing peace to many places in the world, because unfortunately there are millions who feel that, and will try to self-medicate with fantasies of Trump the pedo, or TrumpHitler, etc. We should take a moment and pray for the end of their suffering. No wait, that would require bad news and more evil in the world. No, let's just pray they learn to embrace good and accept peace as progress, even if it hurts a little.
More of that lawless authoritarian Trump getting (checks notes) international authorization for his plan. OMG the whole UN is zionist!
Wince said...
I don’t envision Hamas switching careers and ‘learning to code.’
But now they have to fight Egypt and Jordan not to mention the other Arab countries.
Egypt and Jordan are way better at killing Palestinians than the Jews are.
I was pleased and surprised that the Times didn't go to their standard Stylebook trope headline: "Trump proposed...but experts say its a really bad idea"
Woodrow Wilson has his fourteen points
But Clemenceau turns to Lloyd George
And says, You know
God Himself had only ten
The Devil Made Me Do It
A "Board of Peace" is a bad sign. Just like when a company opens a "Center of Excellence" it's near bankruptcy.
@Larry J: A core goal of every CAREER politician is to find an issue that is (1) emotionally alarming and (2) impossible to resolve because of deep ideological divisions. Then, fundraise every 2, 4, or 6 years.
Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Retire.
See Global Warming, see National Security. See Gun Control. See Environmental Justice. See Abortion. See Immigration. See Health Care. See Taxation. Etc.
Taking away a proven vote bringer is a base reason why overturning Roe v. Wade upset so many people. This topic had brought out generation after generation of anxious young female voters, plus generations of religious voters.
"Another distraction from the Epstein files."
I agree. Let's get our priorities straight, people.
Epstein first, Gaza later, right?
tommyesq said...
Didn't Hamas come out just a few days ago and say they would never under any circumstances accept this plan?
Hamas has already crossed the Rubicon as it were. They have made peace with them impossible.
Their only real hope was redirecting anger at Israel.
The other Arab countries are tired of the bullshit and want to make some money and get rich.
“The NYT reports excellent news.”
Excellent! (* Inserts gif of Wayne and Garth giving the thumbs up. *)
Well, gadfly's 7:43 is - what? Interesting? Right on time?
My 2nd entry:
This just goes to show that Trump will do anything to get a Nobel Prize, even betray his racist, Nazi base and those idiots will stick by him anyway. This proves it's a cult.
rhhardin said...
A "Board of Peace" is a bad sign. Just like when a company opens a "Center of Excellence" it's near bankruptcy.
I agree with this. Board of Justice with a Seal that had a large chopping block in the middle of it would have been better.
Holy shit, Gadfly! I just gave that guy a miniature Snickers bar like 2 weeks ago.
If nations are sufficiently dependent on each other for commerce, they are less likely to want to go to war. With this agreement and the Abraham Accords, Trump is demonstrating the ways the world’s nations could work together to advance peace and prosperity for all.
This is good news if it pans out. The US should follow up on this by phasing out aid to Israel and other countries in the Middle East as well as decreasing our footprint in the Middle East. While Israel is not without threats, it's 3 main threats Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas have been dramatically enervated. The Abraham accords could form a basis of not necessarily friendship, but at least cooperation between Israel and the Arab states. Every country in the Middle East to some degree, including Israel, does not like US involvement in the Middle East. A diminished Iran, Hezbollah, and Hamas, along with a non-adversarial and semi-cooperative Israel and the Arab states could form the basis for regional stability.
.."The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and zero votes against. Russia and China, either of which could have vetoed it, abstained, apparently swayed by the support for the resolution from a number of Arab and Muslim nations"...
I wonder what it took to get this result.
Wince said...
“I don’t envision Hamas switching careers and ‘learning to code.’”
They’ll come to the US as “refugees”, immediately go on the dole, and move to neighborhoods like Williamsburg and Forest Hills in NYC.
I wonder what it took to get this result.
600,000 student visas?
"Dave Begley said...
Wasn’t Joe Biden supposed to be the experienced foreign policy President?"
Well, he did get the Ukrainian prosecutor Viktor Shokin, who was going after Hunter for corruption, fired. Son of a bitch!
The US had been isolated at the UN, now the UN is isolated from the US.
If Our Savior, the LightBringer had done this, we would all have another 4 day weekend on the calendar…starting this Thursday.
- Krumhorn
Peace in the Time of Dysentery
"More of that lawless authoritarian Trump getting (checks notes) international authorization for his plan."
Worst. Dictator. Ever.
Question number one: Has Hamas accepted or agreed to this?
What could possibly go wrong with a massive bureaucratic operating group called the "Board of Peace"? That's right up there with "Peacekeepers"- as in the kind we saw in Rwanda and Sarajevo.
I understand the need for setting up the Palestinians once and for all with their own land. I guess. Except, it's been offered up and tried for 75 years now and...they don't seem to want to work at that. Instead, they work at electing Hamas to run things, accept billions to build tunnels with which to hide their arms, ammo, and themselves under homes, schools, mosques, all the while teaching their kids to that killing Jews is their highest moral standard.
And guess who teaches that to the kids? UN employees. UNRWA. The UN employees not only teach horrendous hate to the future generations, but they actually took part in the slaughter of October 7.
Call me a party pooper, but I simply do not trust ANYTHING to do with the United Nations. Never has the world seen a more corrupt grift operation than that. And, historically, they have consistently voted as a bloc of antisemites. Yes, they made the original vote to re-create Israel. But from the day after through today, they have consistently worked to undermine that day.
I don't buy any of this. I don't trust that Palestinians will jettison Hamas. I know Hamas will not cease working to kill Jews and other Israelis, not to mention thousands of Palestinians. I know that Israel will, once again in the future, get attacked viciously when they let their guard down. It will happen.
I love that Trump's team is working tirelessly on bringing peace to all corners of the world...except for Venezuela. But I don't trust this set up as far as I could throw JB Pritzker.
‘Board of Peace’ is wonderfully Orwellian. Which of the regional anti-semites is going to be the board chair?
“ Wasn’t Joe Biden supposed to be the experienced foreign policy President?”
Yes. But he was mostly experienced at failure.
Hasn't Hamas already rendered this obsolete?
Israel overreached twice, and is now paying. First when they attacked Iran and killed the people we were negotiating with, in a severe blow to US credibility, and making the US look like Israel's puppet. And then when Israel tried to murder the negotiating team in Qatar, a country which we are treaty bound to protect, in return for a very large military base that the Qataris have allowed us to build. We were in serious negotiations with these men at the time that Israel tried to murder them. Another blow to US credibility, and another action that made Trump look like Israel's stooge.
You might have a different narrative of what happened, but if you do, just know that your narrative goes against thousands of years of diplomatic precedent that you don't kill diplomats you are negotiating with, and because of this reality, most of the world sees what Israel did in those two cases as demonstrations that Trump is not master of US foreign policy, but that Bibi rules the roost. If you are more concerned about Israels grab for land not theirs than you are with the prestige and credibility of the United States, well, that's all well and good, just don't call me some kind of "traitor" or "anti-semite" for noticing that the US has been played the fool by Israel's current leadership.
WE could have had this.
A "Board of Peace" is a bad sign.
Agree.
Just like when a company opens a "Center of Excellence" it's near bankruptcy.
Nope. Wisconsin has two fine examples, the SC Johnson one in Racine and just south the really spectacular Snap-on Center of Excellence in Kenosha. (Both centers have been running for a long time and both companies have the highest revenues they have ever reported.)
Yes I have personally visited and worked in both Centers of Excellence in WI and a smattering of others elsewhere in Europe and North America.
Temujin - agreed.
Sure Jaq, that is the current anti-Israel "narrative." The truth is we have lost several US ambassadors while negotiating with the players in the same troubled area: Noel in '73, Meloy in '76 and Dubs in '79.
There is also a reasonable take that Trump and Bibi worked out a good cop/bad cop approach to Iran and Qatar, who were both financing terrorism on Israeli soil an offense to which we as a nation would certainly respond. My hunch is we won't know the truth or how close either of is to it until much later.
The most recent similar kill was our unfortunate Ambassador Stevens killed while Clinton was running guns through Libya. This has not dissuaded America from continuing to negotiate. Apparently Qatar felt the same way.
You would have to more clearly articulate what you mean by "Israel's land grab" for me to understand the point you tried to make.
Regarding Hamas agreeing to this I don't know. Even if they said they agreed to it, I'm not sure it could be trusted. Wanting to destroy Israel is probably an immutable characteristic of their nature like the proverbial scorpion. But a Hamas that doesn't have the support of the Arab states and now with a diminished Iran and Hezbollah as well as an Assad-less Syria, that Hamas is a significantly diminished threat. A threat that Israel is capable of dealing with. Every nation has threats, the only protection is constant vigilance and preparedness. This deal seems like it decreases the capacity of Hamas, as well as moving the Arab states to a friendlier posture towards Israel, long-term.
"There is also a reasonable take that Trump and Bibi worked out a good cop/bad cop approach to Iran and Qatar"
I wonder if the real goal of Israel in that strike wasn't to eliminate the Hamas leaders but to put a personal fear of consequences in the Hamas leaders and decision-makers if a peace-deal was not reached. Hamas leadership doesn't seem like it cares all the much if bad things happen to the Palestinian Hoi Polloi, in fact they probably see it as an opportunity for propaganda. But if Hamas leadership has to worry about their own well-being, even if they were, 'safely' out of the warzone, well then they might feel a greater animus to cut a deal.
I never tire of the malevolence of likes of Jaq. It motivated me to keep a keen edge on my Marine Corps combat axe 🪓 for when needs arise.
- Krumhorn
Hamas is Bored of Peace.
’This just goes to show that Trump will do anything to get a Nobel Prize, even betray his racist, Nazi base and those idiots will stick by him anyway. This proves it's a cult.’
That could be the perfect comment, but you didn’t mention Mama, or trains, or trucks, or prison, or getting drunk…
h/t David Allan Coe
“Just like when a company opens a "Center of Excellence" it's near bankruptcy.”
Don’t misunderstand. The purpose of centers of excellence, like the purpose of the “peace committee” is to place the bureaucrats in a new environment where they can fight for power and issue statements. Then the real work can get done thru normal channels.
It moves the true believers off the battlefield.
Only Trump could have pulled that off.
Breezy says: If nations are sufficiently dependent on each other for commerce, they are less likely to want to go to war. With this agreement and the Abraham Accords, Trump is demonstrating the ways the world’s nations could work together to advance peace and prosperity for all.
I hope it works out this time but in 1909 Norman Angell, a future (1933) Nobel Peace Prize Winner published in 1909 The Great Illusion: The book's thesis is that the economic integration of the European countries had grown to such a degree that war between them would be entirely futile, making militarism obsolete.
More words and no action except the killing in Gaza continues. More international troops to support Hamas are on the way. Nothing ever changes except for giant increases in Arab-supplied take-home cash for Trump. When will we ever learn that "Oz never did give nothing to the Tin Man that he didn't, didn't already have?"
I hope it works but I expect it won't. The Palestinians are too stupid to make this work.
"If nations are sufficiently dependent on each other for commerce, they are less likely to want to go to war. With this agreement and the Abraham Accords, Trump is demonstrating the ways the world’s nations could work together to advance peace and prosperity for all."
A bit more complex of course, but it bears repeating.
Mike (MJB Wolf) said...
You would have to more clearly articulate what you mean by "Israel's land grab" for me to understand the point you tried to make
Israel destroyed the Syrian military, pulled down the regime which led to a massacre of Christians.
Israel then invaded Syria and is currently occupying a fairly large part of it.
"The resolution passed with 13 votes in favor and zero votes against. Russia and China, either of which could have vetoed it, abstained, .."
"I wonder what it took to get this result."
Easy enough. The bus has already left the station. You're either on the bus or off the bus. That's why you have this shocking unanimity.
This is a perfect result. Now if this version of Peace in the Middle East number 5,726,067,975,999 fails it's the UN's fault. A win-win for Big Daddy Donnie.
You might have a different narrative of what happened, but if you do, just know that your narrative goes against thousands of years of diplomatic precedent that you don't kill diplomats you are negotiating with, and because of this reality, most of the world sees what Israel did in those two cases as demonstrations that Trump is not master of US foreign policy, but that Bibi rules the roost.
If I'm following this correctly, what Jaq seems to be saying is that if the US doesn't control Israel's foreign policy, it means that the US is not calling the shots on its own foreign policy - Israel is. Because in the proffered examples, Israel acted against nations that the US was negotiating with. The US didn't carry out those strikes.
In other words, the Jews really do run everything? Is that what Jaq is going for?
And completely unrelated other news...
The U.S. and Saudi Arabia were ready to strike deals on Tuesday for defense sales, enhanced cooperation on civil nuclear energy and a multibillion-dollar investment in U.S. artificial intelligence infrastructure, the official said on condition of anonymity.
Trump told reporters on Monday, "We'll be selling" F-35s to Saudi, which has requested to buy 48 of the advanced aircraft.
This would be the first U.S. sale of the fighter jets to Saudi Arabia and mark a significant policy shift. The deal could alter the military balance in the Middle East and test Washington's definition of maintaining what the U.S. has termed Israel's "qualitative military edge." Until now, Israel has been the only country in the Middle East to have the F-35.
Beyond military equipment, the Saudi leader is seeking new security guarantees. Most experts expect Trump to issue an executive order creating the kind of defense pact he recently gave to Qatar but still short of the congressionally ratified NATO-style treaty the Saudis initially sought.
NPR / BBC is grudgingly coming around to saying this might work, maybe. They are careful not to associate this potential outcome with Trump, and they do this by pointing out the nobody, repeat nobody likes the Palestinians, especially the particularly odious subset called 'Hamas'. They are willing to admit that the normal suppliers of arms and financing have been effectively isolated from the scene, which is apparently the real reason that everyone is willing to vote the affirmative: No other option is viable, anymore. It's going to happen whether they vote for it or not. And voting against it will not only mean the UN is against peace in the Middle East, it means that, once it happens, there will no longer be a reason for them to exist.
So I am wondering if this is what has put the UN behind the Peace Plan: Their existence depends upon it.
@Aggie
The bus has already left the station. You're either on the bus or off the bus. Its most likely to be a bloody ride though. Trump's going to have to let the dogs (Isreal) loose before its over imo. Lets see if any of the riders try to get off. If Trump lets Isreal loose it will have to be job completed this time. (Phase 5? minimum)
Political theater. Hamas jihadists will not accede to relinquishing the means or the opportunity to annihilate Jews.
It’s fascinating to see the theory that Jews, who provide the majority of the DNC war chest along with funding supportive NGO activities, control Trump’s foreign policy on Israel. History, geopolitics and morality provide many reasons to support Israel that are difficult to see through the clouds of ignorance and antisemitism.
"Israel destroyed the Syrian military, pulled down the regime which led to a massacre of Christians."
Israel didn't enter the UNDOF (basically a DMZ) until 2 years after the Civil War began, and did it for logistical reasons to counter Iranian backed proxies in the area. The US by way of Kurdish proxies holds more responsibility than Israel for that. Turkey even more. Syrian Rebels even more.
"Israel then invaded Syria and is currently occupying a fairly large part of it."
The UNDOF is not a fairly large part of Syria (285 sq km). And water grab would be a better descriptor than land grab. Israel set up bases, not an occupying force, and now controls nearly half of the water in the area that Syria and Jordan share since they set up bases in the area.
This is my understanding of what and when transpired. You need to be a lot more explicit in backing your comment. Are there Israeli bases beyond the UNDOF? Other than attacks on Iranian proxies did Israel directly attack the Syrian military?
Syrian forces came down from idlib not north across the border from israel hesbollahs downgrade did have sn effect
@narcisco
Thats my understanding also. Side effect.
Examining cause and effect a rare skill apparently
Examining cause and effect a rare skill apparently
pacwest said...
@Aggie
The bus has already left the station. You're either on the bus or off the bus. It’s most likely to be a bloody ride though. Trump's going to have to let the dogs (Isreal) loose before its over imo.
It can’t be Israel that destroys hamas.
It has to be the other Arab countries that do it.
This is my understanding of what and when transpired. You need to be a lot more explicit in backing your comment. Are there Israeli bases beyond the UNDOF? Other than attacks on Iranian proxies did Israel directly attack the Syrian military?
If by Iranian proxies you mean the Assad regime I accept the statement. They have invaded Syria. Period. They are occupying Syrian land. Period.
I am not going to say Israel is bad or wrong. Trying to apply morals to this situation or call it genocide or castigate anyone for “civilian” deaths is morally juvenile.
But I do think we need to be honest about what is being done and why.
If the Jews and the Sunni are going to ally to wipe out the Shia I think that is the only way to a lasting peace.
But if people try to pretend that Israel is morally superior and justified in killing people then that will not work. People will turn on them if they try to claim they are good guys while they drop bombs on people.
Israel just needs to explain this is an existential conflict and it is us or them. Stop with the bullshit. Please.
Aggie said...
NPR / BBC is grudgingly coming around to saying this might work, maybe. They are careful not to associate this potential outcome with Trump, and they do this by pointing out the nobody, repeat nobody likes the Palestinians, especially the particularly odious subset called 'Hamas'
This is the key part.
Jordan is way better at killing Palestinians than the Jews. Egypt has a pretty good score on the Palestinian kill count too.
You can’t just make this Israel vs Palestinians. That path leads to generations of war.
Its the brotherhood vs the gulf state
@Achilles
Proxies=Hezbollah and affiliates. You can attach them to the Assad regime if you want. Iran had its own reasons for supporting Assad. I'm not trying to claim any moral superiority to any group. Just trying to get the facts right. The UN in UNDOF wasn't doing their job hence the LOGISTICAL necessity of Israel moving into that area. No morality involved. Yes the strip of land belongs to Syria. Military logistics.
If your reasoning extends to war in general, and it seems it does, war can never be justified. Morally war is abhorrent agreed. Unfortunately it seems it is a necessary evil to correct other evils, and an unavoidable part of the human condition. Sad, but basic human nature. Anyway, Israel's actions in Syria seem logistically sound to me.
As to it needs to be Arabs that need to destroy Hamas:
I highly doubt Hamas is going to lay down arms. That means force will have to be used. If Saudi Arabia, UAE, or any Arab nation being considered as a peacekeeping force were enter into direct military action to eliminate Hamas the backlash in their own countries would be immense. Possibly threaten their own regimes. No, Israel is the only country in the ME that can eliminate Hamas.
"I wonder if the real goal of Israel in that strike wasn't to eliminate the Hamas leaders but to put a personal fear of consequences in the Hamas leaders and decision-makers if a peace-deal was not reached."
I thought that was the Occam's razor of the whole thing. It seemed to me it was absolutely necessary, even if most other recent U.S. leaders would have rejected the idea. Trump makes the obvious possible, which surprisingly surprises some.
I, for one, await the first attacks on Egyptian, Saudi, or perhaps more likely the Syrian or even Pakistani military when those boots are on the ground in Gaza. Won't the world and the Palestinians be mightily surprised when the response is indescriminate destruction and killing of both Hamas and civilians, until Hamas surrenders.
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