Later today, when President Trump meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu in Washington, he will have a rare opportunity to not just to take a “victory lap” over what happened in Iran—but to demonstrate leadership on the global stage and save lives. If Trump truly wants to shape the future of Israel, the region, and American global leadership, he must use this moment to press Netanyahu to end his cynical continuation of the war in Gaza.

As a Jew, as an Israeli-American, and as someone who believes in the safety and dignity of all people—Israeli and Palestinian alike—I implore him to do just that.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict began long ago, with this horrific chapter opening with the terrifying events of October 7th. Israel was justified in acting to restore security to its citizens. But as this war has dragged on, it has left unimaginable destruction in its wake. Tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed. Millions have been displaced. And despite all this suffering, Israeli hostages are still not home. 

Netanyahu argues that the fighting continues because Israel has yet to root out Hamas or free the hostages. But even Israelis aren’t buying this talking point anymore. 

A poll published by the right-leaning daily Ma’ariv on Thursday showed that 59% of Israelis want their government to stop the fighting in exchange for the release of hostages. Even more striking, nearly half (48%) of Israelis think that a political calculus is the main reason that Netanyahu is continuing the war.........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)