Donald Trump Archives - CrossFireArarbia

Trumpaplooza! View from Amman

Saleem Ayoub Quna
September 11, 2026

By Saleem Ayoub Quna

Once again President Trump managed to highjack the spotlight as he delivered his keynote speech at the unconventional midterm Republican National Convention in Dallas last week, or at what some media outlets, appropriately, dubbed as the Trumpaplooza!

These media organizations named some candidates who said they preferred Trump to stay out of their own local campaigns, because they thought his interference would not be to their advantage! Other candidates deleted Trump’s name and/or picture from their previous campaign posts for the same reason! And some republican personalities abstained from going to the convention altogether!

Nevertheless, in his nearly two-hour long monologue, Trump came up with more than few original ideas and suggestions for his supporters which he thought would help the GOP candidates, to be elected or reelected, to the Senate and the House next November.

In a rare unheard of tactic to convince his supporters to vote for their candidates, he begged them to imagine that his name was on the ballot they would cast! What this actually meant that their names and identities are less important than that of his own! In other words, President Trump was really saying those candidates would be worth nothing were they not running on behalf of the Republican Party, which he controls and are one of his own many intellectual properties! It must feel awkward for some candidates who fall under this category!

Then comes the big bombshell which no one was expecting, namely the $5000 bonus to be paid for each adult (a registered voter) when and if the elections guaranteed a republican majority in both the Senate and the House!

But let’s dig a little bit further in the significance of the timing of this generous dividend! The difference between the payment (after or before) the elections can be viewed from more than one angel. And this must be very revealing for many Americans and those watching the American experience from other parts of the world!

From purely a Trumpean point of view it is just another business transaction, simple and clear!

Trump’s argument on this point would go something like this: “I can reward you, when and if I am satisfied with the work you have done for me! For I am the one who is running this political bonanza called the “midterm elections” campaign, and I am the one who gave you the chance to vote for my-would be supporters at the Senate and the House”!

Then, he might go on to say: “But I cannot pay you now simply because, I do not buy any fish that is still in the sea”!

But what President Trump is not saying is he first does not have this much cash “a trillion dollar” in his drawer, and that he does not trust every single “adult” who promises, he or she, would vote republican! Trump thinks, and he is right, that there could be some pretenders who would say something but do something else!

A third possibility could be that Trump’s bid would prevail and the republicans would have made it! And the day of payment would arrived, while Trump would not have cash yet! Here, Trump’s genius as a great businessman would come to the test and it will be the guessing game of the century!

But seriously, observers of the American scene under the Trump Presidency, and many Americans as well, must be wondering how on earth the politics of a great country like the US, could get stuck in such an unusual labyrinth of contradictions, where not so many can differentiate between reality and virtual reality, between incentive and bribery and between a hasty promise and commitment!!

Uncategorized

Is Eyal Zamir ‘Restricting’ Raids on Gaza?

CrossFireArabia
August 4, 2026

Israel’s official Broadcasting Corporation (Kan) claimed, Tuesday, that Israeli Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir ordered a restriction on airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. It stated he is now stipulating his prior approval for targeted assassinations of specific Palestinians.

However, it is also thought that the latest directive does not mean a halt to the military strikes, allowing the current Israeli forces in Gaza to continue them to stop any “immediate threats,” according to unnamed sources in the Israeli army’s Southern Command.

This comes as a result of pressure exerted by the “Council for Peace” for Israel to stop its attacks, with the aim of seeking ways to implement the roadmap of the next phase of the ceasefire agreement.

On Monday, the High Representative of the Council for Peace, Nikolay Mladenov, and the Council’s advisor, US official Aryeh Lightstone, asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to halt the airstrikes on Gaza, in accordance with plan put forwards by US President Donald Trump last year.

As a result Kan reported that Zamir has “directed, in recent days, a restriction in attacks on the Strip.”

It quoted an unnamed security source as saying: “The forces operating in the Gaza Strip will be able to continue thwarting any immediate threat should danger be perceived.”

The source claimed that assassinating Palestinians whom Israel alleges were involved in the 7 October, 2023 attacks, but who do not pose an immediate threat, would require prior approval from Zamir.

The agency also quoted an unnamed military source as saying that the Israeli army “implements decisions at the political level.”

However, and contrary to talk of restricting airstrikes, the Israeli army killed two Palestinians, Monday evening, in an airstrike that targeted their vehicle in the Sheikh Ajlin area, southwest of Gaza City.

The bombing came hours after Mladenov and his team called on Netanyahu to stop the attacks, marking the first Israeli airstrike following the request.

Israel also killed 18 Palestinians in separate airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Sunday, one of the deadliest days since the ceasefire agreement came into effect.

On Monday, Egypt, Qatar, and Turkey affirmed that the continuation of Israeli attacks constitutes a violation of the agreement and undermines efforts to implement its second phase.

Trump announced, Thursday, that an understanding had been reached regarding the implementation of the next phase of the agreement, while the “Peace Council” published the text of the roadmap on Friday.

The roadmap stipulates Israel cease its military operations, followed by the deployment of the Palestinian National Authority’s Gaza Administration and the international stabilization force, and the commencement of a phased process for dismantling and storing heavy weapons and dismantling tunnels, concurrent with a phased Israeli withdrawal.

It also stipulates that the weapons be placed under the responsibility of the Palestinian Authority and not be handed over to Israel or any non-Palestinian entity.

However, the Middle East Peace Council stated in a statement issued after the meeting between Mladenov and Netanyahu, Monday, that a complete Israeli withdrawal beyond the “yellow line” will only occur after the dismantling of light and heavy weapons and tunnels is completed.

This differs from the text of the roadmap published on Friday, which links the dismantling of weapons to a phased Israeli withdrawal and requires Israel to first fulfill its obligations under the ceasefire agreement, primarily the cessation of military operations.

In its response, Hamas stated that it adheres to what was agreed upon regarding the implementation of the second phase, including the obligations of all parties, and that it awaits a clear and official response from Mladenov and the mediators.

Two days ago, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz quoted an unnamed Israeli source as saying that Tel Aviv had informed the “Peace Council” of its rejection of three points in the Road Map.

These points relate to the non-destruction of weapons collected from Hamas, the participation of Qatar and Turkey in verifying the implementation of the Road Map, and the denial of freedom of action to the Israeli army in areas whose responsibility would be transferred to the international stabilization force.

Israel insists on not withdrawing completely before the dismantling of all weapons and tunnels, while it continues to occupy 70 percent of the Gaza Strip, amidst ongoing airstrikes and the killing of Palestinians.

Since the ceasefire agreement came into effect on 10 October, 2025, Israeli military attacks killed 1,252 Palestinians and injured 4,120 others, according to the Gaza Ministry of Health.

The agreement came after two years of a war of genocide launched by Israel on 8 October, 2023, which left more than 73,000 Palestinians dead and 174,000 wounded, most of them children and women, in addition to widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure according to Anadolu.

News

Eisenkot: ‘Any Deal That Doesn’t Dismantle Hamas Will Fail’

marwan
July 31, 2026

Former Israeli army chief and opposition leader Gadi Eisenkot said Friday that any agreement on Gaza that fails to dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities would constitute a “complete failure” for the Israeli government.

Eisenkot’s remarks came a day after US President Donald Trump and the Board of Peace announced an agreement on the next phase of the Gaza ceasefire, which Israel has yet to officially endorse.

In a post on the US social media platform X, Eisenkot questioned whether Israel had participated in negotiating the agreement.

“There are major question marks as to whether Israel was a partner to this agreement or whether it was once again imposed on it without its participation,” he wrote.

He criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for failing to present Israelis with details of the agreement, saying any deal would ultimately be judged by whether it achieved Israel’s stated war objectives in Gaza.

“The test is whether Hamas’ military and governing capabilities are dismantled,” Eisenkot said. “Any outcome that does not achieve this objective is a complete failure.”

He added that, aside from the return of Israeli hostages, the war’s objectives had not been achieved despite what he described as the military’s battlefield gains and the heavy price paid.

Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel’s objectives in the war are to secure the release of all hostages, dismantle Hamas’ military and governing capabilities, ensure Gaza no longer poses a threat to Israel and establish a civilian administration in the enclave that excludes Hamas.

Eisenkot also claimed that, nearly three years after the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks, Hamas had rebuilt its manpower and military capabilities, with the number of its fighters approaching pre-war levels.

Earlier Friday, Trump announced that an agreement had been reached for the complete disarmament of Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza, with Israeli forces set to withdraw in phases as the process moves forward. Trump also said Egypt, Qatar and Türkiye had helped broker what he described as a “historic breakthrough.” Anadolu

Opinion

West Bank: A Ticking Time-Bomb

CrossFireArabia
July 28, 2026

By Ismail Al Sharif

Imagine you are sitting with your children at home when a violent knock shakes the door. You open it to find a blond, European-looking man holding a weapon in one hand and a Torah or Talmud in the other, with soldiers behind him.

He orders you to leave the house, saying: “God gave me this house 3000 years ago.” You reply, “But it’s my home; I was born here, and my father and grandfather were born here before me.”

They push you aside, storm into your house, and throw your furniture outside. Your children cry, they throw your wife out, and your blood boils. You wrest the weapon from the blond man and shoot him. They kill you, and then a bulldozer comes to demolish your house.

The next day, the world’s newspapers headline: “Army kills terrorist after he tried to attack occupation soldiers.”

You might go out in the morning to graze your sheep, and in the distance, you see a few fair-haired young men who have pitched a tent on a fenced-off plot of land on a hill. At first, the scene seems fleeting, but soon you see them approaching your land, wandering among your olive trees and your flock, then attacking you, stealing your livestock, and burning your trees.

After that, they seize part of your land and annex it to the area they have taken over. The fence extends day by day, growing longer and wider. Over time, your land, and the land of your relatives, friends, and all the people of your village, becomes part of the nucleus of a new settlement.

Roads change, streets are closed, and checkpoints are erected, until reaching a place only a few hundred meters away becomes a journey that takes hours.

These scenes are repeated daily in the West Bank, where settlers terrorize, assault, and kill Palestinians under the protection of the occupation army, while ministers from the occupation government appear in the background of these attacks. The goal is clear: To empty the West Bank of its original inhabitants, both Muslims and Christians, and uproot them from their land, paving the way for its seizure and Judaization.

All of this is happening in full view of the world, amidst President Donald Trump’s objections and the condemnation of the international community, at a time when his 20-point peace plan was announced in a celebratory atmosphere on September 29th of last year.

However, time has revealed that this plan was nothing but ink on paper. The occupation continues to control over 60% of the Gaza Strip, demolishing buildings and bulldozing agricultural lands in the areas under its control. It also continues its daily bombardment of the Strip, which, since the plan’s launch, has resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Gazans and injured more than 3,600 others. This is while the siege continues and humanitarian aid is prevented from entering.

As for the West Bank, settlement outposts have expanded, and the occupation government recognized 19 additional settlements after the plan’s launch. This coincides with an unprecedented escalation in settler attacks, the continued demolition of homes and displacement of their residents, as well as the ongoing incursions into Palestinian cities, villages, and refugee camps.

The government of war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu makes no secret of its plans to annex the West Bank and thwart any attempt to establish a Palestinian state, while its leader orders the occupation army to launch continuous military campaigns in West Bank cities, villages, and refugee camps.

The West Bank today sits atop a powder keg, fueled by accumulated feelings of anger, fear, frustration, and resentment, awaiting a spark that could ignite the situation. Then, the sporadic confrontations could transform into a widespread popular uprising, which could very well extend beyond the borders of the West Bank.

No one knows how wide the circle of confrontation might widen, where it might spread, or the extent of the repercussions it might have in Jerusalem, the Palestinian territories within Israel, and neighboring countries. Arab governments and their armies may find themselves facing mounting popular and political pressure, pushing them either to engage in a confrontation they do not want, or to take positions and actions they have long sought to avoid.

This article was originally written in Arabic by Ismail Al Sharif and published in Jordan’s daily newspaper Ad Dustour and is reprinted in crossfirearabia.com. Mr Al Sharif long worked in newspaper management and publishing in Amman.

News Opinion

World Cup, Wimbledon Kicks: Flags, Nepotism, Red Cards and a Watermelon!

Saleem Ayoub Quna
July 9, 2026

By Saleem Ayoub Quna

For a change I would like to give credit to President Trump’s, latest attempt to support the American team before facing off Belgium’s team on July 6, when the day before, and despite his tight and loaded schedule, he called “his friend” Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s President, and asked him for a second look at the punishment against the American striker Folarin Balogun, who made a foul against a Bosnia-Herzegovina player in the match they played earlier on July 2, and which the US won 2-0.

FIFA regulations stipulate that when a player gets a red card during a match for an offense he makes against the other team, he should be suspended from playing in the following match! Mr. Infantino obliged and lifted the ban against the American player. But the match against Belgium in which Balogun played was won by Belgium 4-1.

This intervention episode by Trump on behalf of the American national soccer squad did not end there and led to a controversy that would not be settled before the closing of the 32nd round of the current international tournament.

Infantino was criticized by many within and outside the FIFA body and was asked to resign his post as head of this huge powerful organization. In brief, this episode shows that behind the broad smiles and nice words, sits a huge monster of nepotism and even possible corruption!

Also it means that sports, as a human “noble” endeavor, is not immune from certain uncouth and loath viruses that can affect and may shatter the dreams of other less resourceful nations!

Then we have the phenomenon of waiving national flags when a team wins a match. This occasion is ceased by some staff of the winning teams and players to demonstrate their support for a certain political or human cause or admiration of a person. This is exactly what Hossam Hassan, head-coach of the Egyptian team did when his players defeated Australia on July 3 as they scored 4 goals against Australia which scored only 2 goals, in the final shootout play of the match.

Coach Hassan came down to the pitch and waived the Palestinian flag in a sign of support for the Palestinians in beleaguered Gaza, which celebrated Egyptian performance at the tournament. Israel protested this solidarity gesture with Palestinians and labeled it as anti-Semitic, but FIFA officials maintained that flags belonging to FIFA members, (including Palestine) are allowed to be waived on this occasion!

On the other side of the Atlantic, and in London to be precise, another major sports event is underway, known as the Wimbledon grand slam championship. Wimbledon is known for its strict rules starting with the must-wear white attire, by all players and staff!

On June 29, the Turkish Tennis player, Zeynep Sonmez, ranked 51 by WTA, defeated American player Ann Li 2-1. Sonmez wanted to waive a sign of support for the Palestinians, but could not and according to Jamie Baker, the Wimbledon Tournament Director: “Wimbledon rules do not allow political massaging from players”!

So, what does Ms. Zeynep Somez do?! She sticks a small rubber shock absorber to her racket in a shape of a watermelon composed of the four colors of red, white, black and green! To that subtle demonstration, the Wimbledon people could not raise a finger or blow a whistle!

In this regard, other sources insisted that some people among the audience waived the Israeli which was received by a blind eye!

So next time I attend an important tournament or watch it on TV, I will keep my eyes open on tactics and kicks of this sort, which actually might add to the fun of watching!