I’ll give you a hint. John Forbes Kerry once lectured us all on how indispensable this term was for peace in the Middle East.
Time Magazine featured Donald Trump on its cover after his triumph in Gaza — more on which later — and the return of the hostages. In a measure of just how complete Trump’s victory over Hamas and even some US allies had been, Callum Sutherland noticed that a three-word principle went entirely missing over the weekend:
But plenty of questions remain about what lies ahead for peace in the region, particularly the future of Gaza. In the agreement, there is no mention of plans towards a Palestinian State that is recognised by the United States, nor clear plans on Gaza’s future governance.
This has somewhat been laid out in Trump’s initial 20-point peace plan. During Gaza’s redevelopment “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” Trump’s plan states.
But the President made no mention of a Palestinian state during his remarks at the signing ceremony on Monday, and has previously criticized recent moves from western countries to recognize Palestine.
On Monday, asked by reporters about a two-state solution, Trump would only say: “We’ll have to see.”
That was a clear slap at Emmanuel Macron and Keir Starmer, not to mention Recep Tayyip Erdogan. These three NATO leaders had demanded recognition of a Palestinian state in response to Israel’s prosecution of a war Hamas started two years earlier. They plan to take this case to the United Nations, apparently, where they will channel their inner John Forbes Kerrys to claim that only statehood will bring peace to the Levant.
Trump just stomped all over that plan. Neither Macron nor Starmer had anything to do with Trump’s peace plan, which was predicated entirely on American force applied to Iran first, and potentially to Hamas if they didn’t comply. Erdogan did play a role in pushing Hamas into agreement and compliance — so far — but that may be more due to the Israelis and the threat of expanded action against Hamas figures more than a desire to suddenly become a beneficent player in the Middle East muddle.
This was no oversight; it was a deliberate slight. Trump, Steven Witkoff, and Jared Kushner didn’t leave out the “two-state solution” inadvertently. They want to emphasize that terrorism will generate no rewards, and that statehood requires more than just a PR campaign by radical activists in Western capitals run by pusillanimous pols.
To even discuss statehood, Trump made clear, the Palestinians will have to earn it — at the most basic level, by respecting the established states in their own region. That means recognizing Israel as a permanent Jewish state, with inviolable borders. It also means respecting the conventions of statehood, specifically the Geneva Convention, while addressing grievances of any nature. In this case, it also will likely require that the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza restructure their public sectors for accountability rather than for graft, systems that put an end to terrorism against Israel as a fallback mechanism for corruptocrats attempting to avoid said accountability.
“We’ll have to see” puts the onus for statehood where it belongs — on the people of Gaza and the West Bank. When they make the choice to act like respectable states, only then should the world consider recognition of a Palestinian state. They are not owed that recognition, especially on the basis of their conduct over the three decades since Oslo. This two-year war was only the latest in a series of intifadas and worse from both territories, and this time the US finally stopped attempting to freeze the cancer instead of excising it.
Back to Time Magazine, however, which featured a weird image of Trump on its cover. Trump complained about it on Truth Social:
Is this a legit gripe? Take a look and decide for yourselves. You may need to click through to see the whole image:
The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the first phase of Donald Trump’s peace plan, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release. The deal may become a signature achievement of Trump’s second term, and it could mark a strategic turning point for the Middle… pic.twitter.com/0bZDABIDGj
— TIME (@TIME) October 13, 2025
Except for the hair, it’s actually a great shot. It’s a “hero” pose, one that captures or suggests determination, will, and strength. Given the usual manner in which Protection Racket Media outlets choose images of Trump, it’s a significant improvement, especially with the bold headline, HIS TRIUMPH below it. However, it does look like someone washed out his hair to turn it entirely white against an overexposed background to make Trump look bald. Even if the shot came out that way, I’m enough of a hobbyist photographer/editor to know that could be corrected in development — and also that this effect could be created in development, too.
Maybe Time just has incompetent photo editors. Or maybe they just decided to give Trump a subtle dig at his ego while being forced to acknowledge “his triumph.” Either way, it says more about Time than it does about Trump.
Editor’s Note: Donald Trump is America’s Peace Time President. Support and follow our latest reporting on the president’s historic trip to the Middle East.
Join Hot Air VIP, VIP Gold, or VIP Platinum, and use promo code POTUS47 to get 74% off your membership!
