According to author Stephen Daisley: ‘Do Palestinians want Hamas gone?’ (Spectator Australia 2/10/25) in May the Palestinian Centre for Policy and Survey Research asked Palestinians who they would vote for in a Palestinian Legislative Council election.

43% said Hamas, 15 points clear of their nearest rival.

Palestinians were also asked if they supported the disarmament of Hamas in order to stop Israeli military action in Gaza.

85% of respondents in the West Bank said NO.
65% of respondents in Gaza said NO.

Despite what the naive two-staters in countries like Australia think, Daisley suggests that peace and coexistence with Israel are “minority pursuits” in Palestinian society.

Despite Donald Trump's confidence, Daisley has his doubts that Americans will have the stamina, or the interest, to go get to the end of another of many attempts at peace in the Middle East. But, he thinks it might be an opportunity for Israel to step back, still defending themselves, but leaving it to Trump's “transitional” authority to see how it handles terrorism and extremism better than they have all these years, copping abuse and criticism all the while. Israel will be out of Gaza, and the critics will lose antisemitism from their armoury

It has a chance as long as Trump isn't be fooled by Hamas as he was by Putin. If Hamas is allowed to string things out without serious consequences, the peace deal will fail.

100 to 1

«Palestinians were also asked if they supported the disarmament of Hamas in order to stop Israeli military action in Gaza.

85% of respondents in the West Bank said NO.
65% of respondents in Gaza said NO.»

Great victory for Netanyahu - he must have opened a new bottle of champagne (courtesy of James Packer) when he heard of these "beautiful" results that give him a life-line of many more years of more enemies, more haters and more wars, which he worked really hard to earn!

I think that it will take a miracle to fix something that has been going on since 1948, and has worsened since Western politicians have wimped out.

But, instances have occurred in the past that some people describe as miracles.

Donald Trump should accept full marks for the plan - and step back. There are people better suited to try to implement it. Besides, he could be dead before anything happens. He is 79 years old.

He can rightly brag about the wars he stopped in his first term; but he is not producing now. Some might say he ain't what he used to be. Something that all elderly people have to come to terms with eventually.

What odds?

Better listen to those who put their money on it:

The ratio of the Australian dollar to the Israeli Shekel fell today all the way down to 2.15654 (presently 2.16807).

Before October 7th 2023, this ratio was hovering around 2.45, then when the war started, it peaked at 2.60415. Since then, every time there was a cease-fire or a good chance thereof, this ratio fell, but never reached down to today's levels since. It also fell from around 2.30 to around 2.20 following Israel's attack of Iran's nuclear facilities. The only time in the last 20+ years when this ratio fell below today's (to 2.0819) was for about a week in March 2020 when Australia closed its borders.

I tend to believe those speculators who now invest their money buying Israeli Shekels, that this time the hostages will indeed finally be released.

Now seriously, why listen to (or watch) the news when a quick glance at the currency chart can reveal everything so much quicker!?