President Trump brought Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Mar-a-Lago to break a dangerous deadlock over the Gaza ceasefire and regional security, a show of decisive leadership Washington desperately needs right now. The meeting was about more than optics — it was a hands-on push to finally move the ceasefire into its far tougher second phase and to keep America’s strongest ally secure in a deteriorating neighborhood.
The second phase of the U.S.-brokered plan is no small administrative fix; it lays out a 20-point blueprint for disarming Hamas, installing a technocratic Palestinian administration, and deploying an International Stabilization Force to prevent a return to chaos. Conservatives should applaud a plan that puts security and accountability first instead of surrendering to appeasement and bureaucratic paralysis.
Israel’s insistence that progress must wait until the remains of the last Israeli hostage, Ran Gvili, are returned is morally and politically understandable — and any American leader worth his salt would stand with grieving families before cutting a deal. The demand underscores why you can’t trust terrorist groups to play by rules they never intended to follow; strong leverage, not empty promises, is what secures long-term peace.
Beyond Gaza, both Netanyahu and President Trump rightly put Tehran and its proxies on the table, warning about Iranian missile activity and Hezbollah’s slow disarmament in Lebanon — threats that could drag the region back into full-scale war if ignored. Conservatives know that weakness invites aggression, and that means we must support robust intelligence-sharing and deterrence measures to stop Iran’s malign ambitions.
Retired General Jack Keane, a straight-talking voice with real credibility, called this proposed plan an “end-of-war” deal and warned that phase two is the hardest part — a sober reminder that the strategy must be executed with iron discipline and real commitments from partners. Keane’s military realism should be a guide for policymakers: we don’t tinker at the margins while enemies rebuild; we finish the job and secure the outcomes we demand.
On Ukraine, Keane has also urged caution about rushing into peace talks without preserving leverage — a lesson America learned the hard way in earlier conflicts. A deal that sacrifices allied security for a headline would be a betrayal of the brave Ukrainians who bled for their freedom and of our own interest in checking revisionist powers; Trump and his team must negotiate from strength, not hurry to a false peace.
This moment calls for patriots to back bold leadership, not timid technocrats who equate compromise with courage. Congress should rally behind a policy that demands Hamas disarm, ensures Israel’s security, holds Iran and Hezbollah accountable, and protects American interests in any Ukraine settlement — because for hardworking Americans, peace is only real when it is just and lasting.
