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The Mirage of Peace: Why Israel Can Never Rely on Illusions
A Palestinian man points a weapon in the air after it was announced that Israel and Hamas agreed on the first phase of a Gaza ceasefire, in the central Gaza Strip, October 9. Photo: REUTERS/Mahmoud Issa
For a fleeting moment, the world let itself believe.
After the Trump-brokered ceasefire, the one celebrated as the end of bloodshed and the beginning of calm, there was cautious optimism that Israel could finally exhale. But peace in the Middle East has always been a mirage: radiant from afar, yet dissolving upon approach.
Donald Trump deserves credit for the Abraham Accords, which transformed Israel’s regional relationships and broke decades of diplomatic stagnation. Yet even the most pragmatic dealmaker cannot change one immutable truth: you cannot negotiate peace with those whose very identity depends on your destruction.
That is where the illusion began to crack.
Qatar: The Wolf in Diplomat’s Clothing
Trump’s agreement allowed Qatar, second only to Iran in global terror financing, to position itself as a “mediator” in Gaza. That was a dangerous miscalculation.
Qatar remains Hamas’ financial lifeline and ideological patron. Its luxury hotels host the terror group’s leadership; its Al Jazeera network fuels anti-Israel incitement under the banner of journalism; and its so-called “humanitarian aid” routinely ends up funding rockets and tunnels.
This is not diplomacy. This is deception funded by petrodollars.
Even more troubling is that Qatar’s influence has been quietly purchased through immense financial leverage, including high-profile “gifts” to Western leaders and institutions. Whether by coincidence or design, criticism of the Qatari regime often disappears just as quickly as its checks clear.
Israel: Targeted by Rockets and Lies
The outcome of this naïve diplomacy is now plain to see. Israel is not just under fire from missiles; it is under siege by propaganda. The Pallywood machine, amplified by Western media and digital armies of bots, has turned moral reality upside down: the attacker becomes the victim, the defender the villain.
Each time Israel protects its citizens, the world demands “proportion.” As if proportionality exists when terrorists massacre families, rape women, and burn children alive. Meanwhile, antisemitic mobs march in Western capitals, cloaking genocidal chants in the language of “resistance.”
And as Hezbollah rattles its sabers in Lebanon, President Joseph Aoun orders troops to confront so-called Israeli “incursions,” undermining even US-brokered calm. Hezbollah’s intentions are clear; not defense, but destruction. Their “right to resist” is a euphemism for preparing another war.
The New “Peacekeepers,” A Powder Keg in Disguise
Israeli analysts now warn that the growing coordination between Egypt and Saudi Arabia could reshape the region’s power map. Together, they hold two of the Middle East’s largest armies. Their new “security cooperation,” hailed abroad as progress, may in fact be laying the groundwork for future confrontation.
History is painfully clear: when Israel’s adversaries begin to coordinate, it is usually not about maintaining balance but preparing for the next round. And this time, the stakes are higher. Iran and its proxies are emboldened, Western resolve is fading, and global antisemitism is again spreading like wildfire.
The World Forgets and Then Blames
How quickly the world unlearns history. The same governments that ignored years of Hamas rockets now preach “restraint.” The same human rights groups that said nothing about Hamas using hospitals as military bases now accuse Israel of war crimes. The same media that glorified “resistance fighters” now scolds Israel for defending its children.
This hypocrisy is not new. It echoes the cowardice of the 1930s, when silence greeted Jewish suffering, and blame was always redirected toward the Jew. Because at its core, this is not about geopolitics or policy. It’s about hate wearing the mask of morality.
Israel has never asked the world for pity, only for honesty. And its survival, against all odds, remains a moral compass for the entire world. You can destroy homes, you can burn cities, but you cannot erase a people whose identity is bound to hope, memory, and faith.
So when the world asks, “Who believed the war was over?” The answer is simple: only those who have forgotten history.
Because Israel has never had the luxury of illusion, only the duty to survive. And it will
Sabine Sterk is the CEO of Time To Stand Up For Israel.
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UK Prosecutors Try to Reinstate Terrorism Charge Against Kneecap Rapper
Member of Kneecap Liam O’Hanna, also known as Liam Og O hAnnaidh and performing under the name of Mo Chara, speaks to supporters outside Woolwich Crown Court, after a UK court threw out his prosecution for a terrorism offense, in London, Britain, Sept. 26, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hannah McKay
British prosecutors sought to reinstate a terrorism charge against a member of Irish rap group Kneecap on Wednesday for displaying a flag of Iran-backed Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah at a London gig, after a court threw out the case last year.
Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, whose stage name is Mo Chara, was accused of having waved the flag of the banned Islamist group Hezbollah during a November 2024 gig.
The charge was thrown out in September after a court ruled it had originally been brought without the permission of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Attorney General, and also one day outside the six-month statutory limit.
But the Crown Prosecution Service said it would challenge the ruling and its lawyer Paul Jarvis told London’s High Court on Wednesday that permission was only required by the time Ó hAnnaidh first appeared in court, meaning the case can proceed.
Kneecap – known for their politically charged lyrics and anti-Israel activism – have said the case is an attempt to distract from what they described as British complicity in Israel’s so-called “genocide” in Gaza. Israel strongly denies committing a genocide in the coastal territory, where it launched a military campaign against Hamas after the Palestinian terrorist group invaded Israeli territory.
J.J. Ó Dochartaigh, who goes by DJ Próvaí, was in court but Ó hAnnaidh was not required to attend and was not present.
KNEECAP SAYS PROSECUTION A DISTRACTION
Ó hAnnaidh was charged in May with displaying the Hezbollah flag in such a way that aroused reasonable suspicion that he supported the banned group, after footage emerged of him holding the flag on stage while saying “Up Hamas, up Hezbollah.”
Kneecap have previously said the flag was thrown on stage during their performance and that they “do not, and have never, supported Hamas or Hezbollah.”
The group, who rap about Irish identity and support the republican cause of uniting Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland, have become increasingly vocal about the war in Gaza, particularly after Ó hAnnaidh was charged in May.
During their performance at June’s Glastonbury Festival in England, Ó hAnnaidh accused Israel of committing war crimes, after Kneecap displayed pro-Palestinian messages during their set at the Coachella Festival in California in April.
Kneecap have since been banned from Hungary and Canada, also canceling a tour of the United States due to a clash with Ó hAnnaidh’s court appearances.
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German-Israel Deal Strengthens Cyber Defense, German Minister Says
A German and Israeli flag fly, on the day Chancellor Friedrich Merz meets with Israeli President Isaac Herzog for talks, in Berlin, Germany, May 12, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Liesa Johannssen
A new German-Israel agreement aims to counter cyber threats and enhance security infrastructure, German Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt told parliament on Wednesday.
Dobrindt signed the agreement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem over the weekend.
The collaboration includes the development of a joint “cyber dome” system, an artificial intelligence and cyber innovation center, drone defense cooperation, and improved civilian warning systems.
“We have already had a trusting partnership in the past, which we want to strengthen further,” Dobrindt said. “Israel has extensive experience in cyber defense. We want to benefit from that.”
The German Interior Ministry said on Monday the agreement would extend to protecting energy infrastructure and connected vehicle networks, in addition to enhancing collaboration in civil protection, counter-terrorism, and criminal prosecution.
European countries are facing increasing pressure to fortify their cyber defense systems against sophisticated attacks.
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France Explores Sending Eutelsat Terminals to Iran Amid Internet Blackout
French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Noel Barrot attends the questions to the government session at the National Assembly in Paris, France, Jan. 13, 2026. Photo: REUTERS/Stephanie Lecocq
France is looking into sending Eutelsat satellite terminals to Iran to help citizens after Iranian authorities imposed a blackout of internet services in a bid to quell the country’s most violent domestic unrest in decades.
“We are exploring all options, and the one you have mentioned is among them,” French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Wednesday in the lower house after a lawmaker asked whether France would send Eutelsat gear to Iran.
Backed by the French and British governments, Eutelsat owns OneWeb, the only low Earth orbit constellation, or group of satellites, besides Elon Musk’s Starlink.
The satellites are used to beam internet service from space, providing broadband connectivity to businesses, governments, and consumers in underserved areas.
Iranian authorities in recent days have launched a deadly crackdown that has reportedly killed thousands during protests against clerical rule, and imposed a near-complete shutdown of internet service.
Still, some Iranians have managed to connect to Starlink satellite internet service, three people inside the country said.
Even Starlink service appears to be reduced, Alp Toker, founder of internet monitoring group NetBlocks said earlier this week.
Eutelsat declined to comment when asked by Reuters about Barrot’s remarks and its activities in Iran.
Starlink’s more than 9,000 satellites allow higher speeds than Eutelsat‘s fleet of over 600, and its terminals connecting users to the network are cheaper and easier to install.
Eutelsat also provides internet access to Ukraine’s military, which has relied on Starlink to maintain battlefield connectivity throughout the war with Russia.
Independent satellite communications adviser Carlos Placido said OneWeb terminals are bulkier than Starlink’s and easier to jam.
“The sheer scale of the Starlink constellation makes jamming more challenging, though certainly not impossible,” Placido said. “With OneWeb it is much easier to predict which satellite will become online over a given location at a given time.”