In this never-ending stream of jaw-dropping announcements coming out of the White House, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and distracted. That’s what administration officials want. But despite the head-scratching and deeply worrying claim from President Donald Trump last week that the U.S. could turn Gaza into the “Riviera of the Middle East” (with the possibility of U.S. military action), we cannot lose sight of the opportunity before us to secure a lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
The path to peace will be fraught, but we have a historic opportunity. Let’s not squander it.
After a 16-month war that started with the horrific killing of 1,200 innocent Israelis and abduction of 250 more by Hamas terrorists and then the killing of more than 47,500 people in Gaza — mostly women and children — a fragile ceasefire began Jan. 19.
I have always firmly supported Israel’s right to defend itself. Israel is a critical ally in the region and has legitimate threats to its security from Iran and its terrorist proxies throughout the region, as Oct. 7 demonstrated all too clearly. Still, the manner in which Israel defends itself matters. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has overseen a military campaign that has had catastrophic consequences not only for the people of Gaza but for his own people as well.
This ceasefire could not have come soon enough. However, there are clear signs that Netanyahu and members of his far-right coalition don’t want the war to end and are working behind the scenes to restart fighting after the first 42-day phase of the agreement. We cannot let them.
In Netanyahu and Trump’s joint news conference last week, Trump hinted at an announcement in the next month on U.S. policy and a potential West Bank annexation. This would hand Netanyahu and his extremist cabinet a long-sought-after victory and would be a true nail in the coffin for the future of an independent Palestinian state. We cannot allow this.
Trump has also said the U.S. should take over Gaza and remove the more than 2 million Palestinians who live there. This proposal, which amounts to a call for ethnic cleansing, would strip the Palestinians of even more land and undoubtedly incite a violent response from Hamas. We cannot allow this either.
Instead, Trump needs to use his leverage — in the form of billions of dollars in military aid — to keep Netanyahu at the table. Trump and his team should make clear that if Netanyahu ends the peace deal, the U.S. will withhold certain offensive military aid. The administration needs to work with partners in the region, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Egypt, to provide security guarantees. Trump has said he wants to win a Nobel Peace Prize. This is his chance.
Let’s be clear: The path Israel has been pursuing has not worked and will not work. Netanyahu claims his goals are to eliminate Hamas and secure the release of the hostages. But his approach so far has undermined both of these objectives. Hamas has recruited almost as many fighters as it has lost. And only eight hostages were brought home by Israeli soldiers, while more than 100 were released due to diplomacy.
It is in the Palestinian people’s interest to subvert Hamas’ rule, choose new political leadership to form a new government and establish a Palestinian state. It is in Israel’s security interests to have a stable neighbor in a Palestinian state. And it is in the U.S.’ best interest to support an Israel that is not constantly preoccupied by war.
I have been to Israel numerous times and visited Gaza, and I have seen the resilience and determination of people on both sides to establish a lasting peace. The only viable path forward is a state of Israel and a state of Palestine. While some fear there is no appetite for peace after the horrors of Oct. 7 and this war, public opinion polls show that a majority of Israelis support a regional security agreement in which Israel normalizes relations with the Arab world, including Saudi Arabia, in exchange for agreeing to the establishment of a Palestinian state. Saudi Arabia has emphatically and repeatedly stated that it cannot move forward with normalizing relations with Israel without a Palestinian state. Linking these two priorities can help us overcome decades of diplomatic gridlock.
Though a peaceful resolution to this conflict has been elusive for generations, we are at a historic crossroads where a peace deal is within our grasp. The question now is: Will we reach out and grab this deal or let this historic moment slip through our fingers?
My message to the Trump administration as well as the Netanyahu government is simple: Do not let this ceasefire crumble. Do not let this opportunity to establish a lasting peace and stability devolve once again into conflict and chaos.
It’s time to change our approach and change the trajectory of history.
U.S. Rep. Mike Quigley, a Democrat, represents Illinois’ 5th Congressional District.
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