Donald Trump is often called a “transactional president,” and this week, that apt description led to success. The ceasefire negotiated between Israel and Hamas was a transaction, and a complicated one at that. It’s worth placing all the caveats that this is only Phase 1 and it may break down or get stuck if the parties renege on their commitments. But the first phase is in fact a plausible pathway to ending the horrific violence in Gaza and represents a chance well worth taking. It reveals five important realities about the Middle East today.

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