Trump must stop Netanyahu from burning down any chance of Israeli-Palestinian peace - opinion

Gershon Baskin argues that US President Donald Trump must prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from escalating conflicts in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon ahead of the Israeli election. The author warns that the settler movement, backed by Netanyahu's government, is creating irreversible facts on the ground to prevent Palestinian statehood, which threatens American regional peace efforts including Saudi normalization and Gaza reconstruction. Baskin calls for Trump to impose a 'no new fires' policy: rein in settler violence, prevent unnecessary Gaza escalation, and maintain restraint on the Lebanon front until after the election.

Gershon Baskin, writing in The Jerusalem Post, argues that US President Donald Trump must intervene to prevent Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from escalating conflicts in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon ahead of the Israeli election. The author warns that the settler movement, backed by powerful members of Netanyahu's government, is pursuing a clear political project to make Palestinian statehood impossible by creating irreversible facts on the ground. Baskin cites recent events in Kusra, where Israeli troops clashed with settlers while trying to dismantle an outpost, and notes that settlement expansion has reached unprecedented levels with sharply increased settler violence. He argues that this is becoming an American strategic problem, as Trump's administration wants regional peace, Saudi-Israeli normalization, and Arab investment in Gaza's reconstruction, while the settler movement wants permanent Israeli control over the West Bank. Baskin calls for Trump to impose a 'no new fires' policy: rein in settler violence with actual enforcement, prevent unnecessary Gaza escalation before the election, and maintain restraint on the Lebanon front after Israeli strikes on August 15 killed at least 11 people. The article frames the situation as a fundamental clash between two incompatible visions for the region.