In an extraordinary diplomatic reversal, Trump and Netanyahu have engineered a coalition of the United States and multiple Arab and Muslim states that has totally isolated and defeated Hamas internationally — forcing the terror group into an unprecedented corner and handing Israel decisive leverage. It also proves that Bibi’s critics were short-sighted and petty.

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The Trump-Netanyahu framework has not only cornered Hamas but is now opening the door to the kind of cooperation Israel has long sought with Arab and Islamic states—relations of equals, recognition, and pragmatic collaboration. What once seemed an impossible diplomatic dream is becoming possible: Israel sitting across the table from its neighbors not as a pariah, but as a legitimate regional actor.

At the same time, Europe and other global powers now find common ground with Israel. The plan offers them plausible cover: they can hint at support for a two-state horizon while understanding that Israel retains absolute control over the conditionalities. The fears of a runaway Palestinian state vanish when Israel can point to the contingency triggers. And Jerusalem remains untouchable—its undivided, eternal capital.

Why the balance has shifted decisively to Israel

1. Partnership with Arab and Muslim states
   In Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates reportedly pressed Prime Minister Netanyahu to accept the Trump plan, warning that annexation of the West Bank would “shut the door” on further Arab-Israel normalization.Reuters Such pressures reflect how the calculus has changed: Arab states now demand Israel stay within diplomatic bounds in return for deeper ties.
2. Global and European legitimacy on Israel’s terms
   Trump himself underscored the broad reception: “I got a very good response from Israel and Arab leaders … Everybody wants to make the deal.”Reuters+1 That line gives Israel leverage: global players can signal support for a peace initiative, while knowing Israel remains the one with final sovereignty over security parameters.
3. Jerusalem secure and nonnegotiable
   The plan leaves the status of Jerusalem untouched. That means Israel can confidently assert that its capital, holy and undivided, is not part of the bargaining table. Any proposal that undermines Jerusalem is void in Israel’s view.
4. Control over perimeters and security supremacy
   Israel maintains authority over Gaza’s perimeter, the borders of Judea and Samaria (West Bank), airspace, and defense. Even if a nominal administration arises, it is structurally prevented from exerting real security control.
5. Conditional “statehood” as Israel’s fallback shield
   The possibility of a future Palestinian state is woven into the plan, but every stage is contingent on compliance. If donors, Arab backers, or Palestinian leadership deviate into hostility or extremism, Israel retains the right to suspend or reverse steps. This ensures that statehood is never automatic—Israel retains final say.

Hamas, trapped by its own choices

Hamas now faces a stark ultimatum. In joint remarks, Netanyahu voiced unequivocal support: “I support your plan to end the war in Gaza which achieves our war aims.”AP News He warned that if Hamas refuses or fails, “then Israel will finish the job by itself — the easy way or the hard way.”AP News+1 Meanwhile, Trump has said the plan is “beyond very close” to ending conflict and that Israel has full U.S. backing to act if Hamas rejects it.Reuters+2The Washington Post+2

Those options trap Hamas: disarm and lose power, or resist and face overwhelming force. Either path is a loss.

The broader victory unfolding

This moment is far more than Hamas’s isolation. It is Israel’s emergence as a respected power. Arab, Islamic, and European states are now engaging with Israel not from posture, but as a serious partner. Israel gains access, cooperation, legitimacy—and the freedom to point to a peace framework without ever being forced into one.

Israel can always invoke the built-in contingencies, thereby insulating itself from a hostile Palestinian entity. Jerusalem’s status is untouchable; perimeter control is secure. And while the plan hints at two-state language, it does so on Israel’s terms, never as blind submission.

That is why this moment functions as a template for total victory: not yet consummated, but clearly mapped. Israel holds the cards. Hamas is squeezed. And the world has begun to shift.