ISRAEL&PALESTINE WAR IS OVER - HOSTAGES RELEASED!
Trump's Roadmap to a Nobel Prize 2026: 1. Gaza, 2. Ukraine, 3. Alliance of Democracies, 4. USA
Emotional Moments Israeli Hostages Reunite with Families
“Diplomacy of Power” ended the war and freed the remaining hostages
by Jaka Bizilj from Hostage Square in Tel Aviv and Ramallah
ISRAEL/GAZA/EGYPT - All hostages are released, the war is over! Israeli officials have confirmed that 20 living captives have been brought back from Gaza. Under the terms of Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, this should trigger the release of almost 2,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Who to thank for ending the war and for the hostage release? Most praise was given over the past weekend to envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump, who everyone thanked enthusiastically, while Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu was booed by 400.000 people on Saturday night at the “Hostage Square”. Netanyahu was also criticised by Trump, who wished to end the war earlier and receive the Nobel Prize. Our special envoy Gershon Baskin, who orchestrated backchannel negotiations between the US and Hamas leaders, reported that Hamas was ready for the same deal as now already in September 2024.
The World Forum had honoured US President Bill Clinton this year for ending at least seven wars with “The Noble Prize” as “Peacemaker of the 20th Century”. Donald Trump said recently that he had ended seven wars too, and today “the hostages are back, I can say now 8 wars” - and that he deserves the Nobel Prize more than anybody else. But the 5 committee members from the Norwegian Parliament had decided already last Monday to give the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado thanked Trump on social media: “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.”
2025 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate María Corina Machado
Trump could win the Nobel Prize next year if he manages to execute the peace deal with his “diplomacy of power” in Israel and Palestine, end the war in Ukraine, start an Alliance of Democratic Nations, protect Taiwan, support democracy in Venezuela, stop civil war in Sudan and keep the USA democratic - and end speculation about a third term, stop dismantling civil rights in the US and oppose Peter Thiel’s and JD Vance’s philosopher Curtis Yarvin’s vision of a “just monarch”. As George Clooney quoted Ed Murrow in the film “Good Night and Good Luck” in his fight against McCarthy for the freedom of speech: “You cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home.”
To use metaphors - “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice” and the bearer of “the Ring that rules them all” succumbed to absolute power, but Donald Trump has the chance to achieve the greatest relative power any US President has ever held – as the democratic leader of a new Alliance of Democratic Nations across the globe. If Trump favors “Gandalf” to “Sauron” in Peter Thiel’s “Palantir”, the seeing stone from “The Lord of the Rings”, which provides the name of the world's possibly most influential data surveillance and analysis software, he can not only win the Nobel Prize next year, but protect democracy and freedom in the world against hegemonic and oppressive powers.
"The Gatekeepers" directed by Dror Moreh
Six former heads of Israel's secret service agency, the Shin Bet, conclude that violent measures and military actions never improved the security situation of Israel.
I. Trump's Peace in Gaza - “The Dawn of the New Middle East”?
Trump spoke in the Knesset of a new era starting today, focusing on the future of Israel, but also stating that "Palestinians deserve a better life.” “Instead of making weapons and missiles, the wealth of this region should flow to schools and the medicine industry.” Former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert told me before Trump’s speech this morning: “We need to be very careful how we move forward, because in a matter of months, or latest 1-2 years, Hamas may regain military capability, and Israel will lose patience at the first violations of the treaty - and hostilities will erupt soon enough.” Like in Lebanon and Gaza before, “we have been there many times before. The next steps must be articulated rapidly.” Olmert: “The World Forum should be of help to bring experienced people together who are acquainted with this complexity.”
Hamas has already announced it will continue to fight Israel.At least 27 people have been killed in fierce clashes between Hamas security forces and armed members of the Dughmush family in Gaza City, in one of the most violent internal confrontations since the end of major Israeli operations in the enclave. International security forces will be needed urgently to replace fighters of Hamas and all the other groups such as Islamic Jihad to provide security.
The Israeli public seems to have lost trust that Netanyahu is the right leader to manage Israel’s future and peace. At the Tel Aviv “Hostage Square” event on Saturday night, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff delivered a speech celebrating the peace agreement and honoring key figures involved. The crowd’s reaction turned sharply when he mentioned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, drawing boos and jeers from sections of the audience. Witkoff attempted to continue, saying he had been “in the trenches with the prime minister” and emphasizing Netanyahu’s role and sacrifices “for the service of Israel,” but the discomfort in the crowd was clear. The moment was notable because it came just after Donald Trump had publicly blamed Netanyahu for the October 7th attacks, saying that Netanyahu “rightfully has been criticized.” In that same context, Trump said there are “other good people” in Israel who “could do a good job” and Netanyahu is replaceable. Though today he praised Netanyahu again, and even asked the Knesset to pardon Netanyahu: “Who cares about cigars and champagne?”
At the Gaza peace summit today in Sharm El-Sheikh, Netanyahu was not welcome.
"The Bibi Files" directed by Alexis Bloom
The filmmaker explores the allegations of corruption against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu using leaked police interrogation footage.
The reasons why Netanyahu's time might be ending are not only the corruption allegations, but his resistance to stop the war much earlier, the unauthorised attack in Qatar a month ago, and possibly also the loss of support by Miriam Adelson, Sheldon Adelson’s widow, whom Trump thanked too today, praising her wealth publicly, and whose late husband had created Israel's biggest newspaper to promote Netanyahu. Netanyahu will face two trials next: while the ICC has been paralysed, one symbolic trial by The Court of the Citizens of the World in The Hague on alleged war crimes in Gaza by Netanyahu (and against Hamas for crimes committed on October 7 and for 20 years against Israeli and Palestinian citizens), and one official court case in Israel on 3 counts of corruption, as also described in the documentary film “The Bibi Files”. The ICC had originally issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu for crimes against humanity and war crimes. The most likely candidates to succeed him next year are Gadi Eisenkot, who is considered a reasonable and pragmatic candidate, Naftali Bennett, the most likely successor according to the polls today, who opposes a Palestinian state, and Yair Golan, the leader of the left wing democratic party, a former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army, who has been in favour of a two state solution.
Some suggestions by The World Forum, which were inspired by peace treaties by Olmert and Al-Kidwa as well as the architect of the Oslo accords, Yossi Beilin, have found their way into the 20-point peace plan for Gaza. Our envoy Gershon Baskin has been an important force in briefing Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff and has been conducting backchannel negotiations between the American side and the leaders of Hamas, which led to Hamas and Israeli leaders meeting for the first time ever directly - just three weeks after Israel attacked the Hamas negotiators in Qatar and after all trust was gone. Steve Witkoff and Gherson Baskin restored the trust and made the impossible possible: to have Hamas and Israelis sit in one room to make a peace deal. Israeli and Arab TV stations never dared to show on the news both delegations at both tables in the same room in one image - in order not to shock their audiences because of the “no contact policy” since 1987, when Hamas was created!
Harder phase-two issues - Hamas disarmament, the formation of an international stabilization force, and Gaza’s postwar governance - remain unresolved and are expected to require continued negotiations in coordination with regional and international actors.
What Must Be Achieved?
The ongoing Trump-led Gaza peace agreement marks an important diplomatic milestone, but for sustainable peace it must evolve toward a broader, more comprehensive framework. The World Forum and Cinema for Peace propose a holistic framework (LINK) addressing the root causes of conflict and laying the foundation for democratic coexistence. While both initiatives share the same humanitarian and stabilization goals, they diverge in depth, scope, and vision.
Scope Beyond Gaza / West Bank Integration: The Trump plan is largely focused on Gaza, emphasizing the cessation of hostilities, withdrawal of forces, and humanitarian aid. In contrast, The World Forum’s proposal extends peacebuilding to both Gaza and the West Bank - ensuring territorial continuity, removal of checkpoints, and freedom of movement. It envisions a single, interconnected Palestinian territory rather than fragmented enclaves.
Two Secular Democratic States: The Forum’s vision defines a two-state solution: Israel and Palestine as secular, democratic states by January 2027, founded on the 1967 borders with negotiated land swaps. Jerusalem’s Old City and holy basin would be placed under joint international custodianship by Saudi Arabia or Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and the United States - guaranteeing access and freedom of worship without exclusive sovereignty. The Trump plan, by contrast, speaks only of Palestinian autonomy, leaving core issues of borders, sovereignty, and Jerusalem’s administration undefined.
"No Other Land" directed by Yuval Abraham, Basel Adra, Hamdan Ballal, Rachel Szor
This film made by a Palestinian-Israeli collective shows the destruction of the occupied West Bank's Masafer Yatta by Israeli soldiers and the alliance which develops between the Palestinian activist Basel and Israeli journalist Yuval.
Jerusalem as a Shared Holy Basin: Joint international custodianship by Saudi Arabia or Qatar, Jordan, Palestine, Israel, and the United States - ensuring freedom of worship without exclusive sovereignty.
Deployment of International Peacekeepers: The Trump proposal’s International Stabilization Force (ISF) is intended to oversee the ceasefire and demilitarization in Gaza. The Forum expands this concept significantly, calling for a 30,000 International Peacekeeping Force from Arab, European, and Asian nations to secure borders, monitor the truce, and ensure safe passage between Gaza and the West Bank - transforming short-term stabilization into lasting regional security.
Transitional Councils for Governance: Both frameworks seek to end Hamas’s military role. The Forum, however, outlines a full disarmament process combined with leadership exile to Qatar under amnesty and pension guarantees, providing both accountability and stability. The Trump plan mandates dismantling Hamas’s military capacity but omits provisions for reintegration or safe political transition. The Forum’s structure further establishes three permanent institutions - the International Council for Peace Implementation, the Israeli Peace and Security Council, and the Palestinian Transitional Governing Council. Led by international statesmen (President Bill Clinton, Tony Blair, Jared Kushner) alongside regional and Palestinian leaders (Marwan Barghouti, Salam Fayyad, Nasser Al-Kidwa) to oversee reconstruction, elections, and constitutional reforms.
Reconstruction, Compensation, and Jobs: Both plans prioritize reconstruction and humanitarian revival, but The World Forum proposal details a concrete framework: $50 billion in reconstruction funding, and the creation of 300,000 jobs - through cross-border employment, remote digital work, and entrepreneurship. It further calls for transparent digital tracking of funds to ensure accountability. Trump’s plan supports reconstruction aid but lacks such economic detail, funding mechanisms, and compensation formulas yet.
Guarantees, Duration, and Reconciliation: The Forum proposes a binding 100-year peace pact guaranteed by major world powers and regional states, whereas the Trump plan limits itself to conditional, phased implementation. The Forum also introduces cultural and educational reconciliation: Ministries of Reconciliation in both states would reform school curricula, promote cultural exchange, regulate media ethics, and organize joint memorials and films to build empathy and mutual understanding - ensuring that peace takes root across generations, not just at negotiation tables.
The Path Forward: To move from ceasefire to enduring peace, the Trump plan’s immediate steps must integrate the Forum’s long-term architecture - combining security with political transition, reconstruction with reconciliation, and temporary calm with permanent coexistence. Only by addressing governance, economy, and culture together can Israel and Palestine move beyond survival toward peace, dignity, and a shared future.
The World Forum is developing blueprints for a secular Palestinian constitution, among others with our board member Geoffrey Robertson who wrote the constitution for the Commonwealth for the Seychelles and East Timor, as well as suggestions for new democratic parties. In this context, the Forum is meeting with potential new leaders in Ramallah and the West Bank - for example, Mohammad Asideh, a Palestinian policy strategist who worked on Salam Fayyad’s 2021 campaign and is now Director of Advocacy at Project Rozana. Known for his international experience in Australia, the U.S., and Singapore, Asideh focuses on shifting Palestinian politics toward pragmatic institution-building, health, and economic reform. He also founded the Policy Club, a platform that brings together some of the brightest Palestinian minds to develop creative, future-oriented solutions for Palestine. He writes opinion pieces, including on The Times of Israel blog, and promotes the use of health as a bridge between communities, emphasizing cooperation, shared interests, and solidarity across divides. “Our GDP before the war was twice as high as in the neighbouring countries, we Palestinians can rebuild and develop without foreign powers, we just need better leadership and reforms of our political systems.” Asideh praised functioning Palestinian institutions - despite Israel withholding 2 billion of tax income and civil servants working for half of their salary. “We have the second highest rate of education in the Arab world - we have a higher coverage with electricity and water than most Arab capitals, 96% have internet, we apply for a passport in ONE hour, official documents are issued in 15 minutes.” He told me yesterday:
“The leadership is corrupt, the institutions are not.” He had never to pay a bribe to anybody, teachers and workers work for half of their wages because of Israel not paying out tax money in order to provoke a collapse of the institutions and possibly an annexation of the West Bank by Israel. “We don't have a single homeless person in the West Bank. Fatah and Abbas fail, but institutions of the West Bank can also work in Gaza and provide security services.”
Looking toward the future, Asideh identifies four central pillars for Palestine’s development: establishing an alternative leadership to reform the political system, building a sustainable economic system, improving health care, and ensuring high-quality education. He proudly notes that the educational level in Palestine- even within refugee camps - is higher than in most of the Arab world. “Our educational level is higher than in the Arab world - even in the refugee camps.”
A Palestinian state has been offered since the fifties, but radical forces have opposed it, even when Bill Clinton offered a Palestinian state to Yasser Arafat in 2000. Hamas has announced today after the release of the hostages, that it will never accept a two state solution, and will keep fighting Israel “until no land is occupied anymore”. Did Trump rush too much to get the Nobel Prize and missed a lasting deal? The World Forum peace plan had suggested a gradual exchange of hostages and palestinian prisoners, and Hamas departing into exile.
"I Shall Not Hate" directed by Tal Barda
A Palestinian doctor's mission of tolerance and forgiveness is put to the ultimate test when he loses his three daughters. Nobel-nominated bestselling author Izzeldin Abuelaish from Gaza, whose greatest adversary is hate itself
II. Trump's Peace in Ukraine: Buy no oil from Russia, put up deterrence?
Serbia offers a current example of how Donald Trump’s administration is taking a “go real” approach toward nations that sustain Moscow’s war economy by purchasing Russian oil. Serbia remains closely tied to Russian energy through Gazprom Neft’s dominance in its market, symbolizing the broader network of countries that have sustained or increased Russian oil imports despite sanctions. According to global energy data, at least two major nations - India and Turkey - boosted their imports of Russian oil and refined products in 2024, while several EU states indirectly increased purchases through intermediaries such as Azerbaijani refineries. Russia’s exports to China rose by roughly 500,000 barrels per day, and to India from about 50,000 barrels per day in 2020 to nearly 1.7 million barrels per day in 2024, making Asia responsible for over 80 percent of Russia’s crude exports. These figures highlight how Trump’s renewed “realpolitik”-strategy seeks to hold accountable countries that continue financing Moscow’s war economy through expanded oil trade.
The World Forum suggests A PEACE PLAN FOR UKRAINE (LINK) with enforcement guarantees for a “freeze” scenario until 2045. As Putin has rejected all initiatives by President Trump and we received encouraging responses from numerous heads of state, some believe the time has come to resume peace efforts with enforcement. Russia could be motivated to sign a peace treaty in a similar way President Bill Clinton motivated Serbia and Slobodan Milosevic in 1995 - either sign a peace treaty or lose the war. The US, NATO and Europe could demonstrate that any further war will result in devastating losses for Putin.
III. Trump’s Peace for the World: The Alliance of Democratic Nations
The World Forum suggests the creation of The Alliance of Democratic Nations (LINK) on February 16, 2026, at the Brandenburg Gate at The World Forum on the Future of Democracy, AI/Tech and Humankind in Berlin - a historic site where the will of the people brought down the Berlin Wall and ended the Cold War, changing world history in a single night. Where Ronald Reagan said: “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!”, and in the same city John F. Kennedy famously exclaimed: “Ich bin ein Berliner.”
On the 25th anniversary of the Fall of the Berlin Wall, we honored President Gorbachev as the “Man of the 20th Century” for his role in ending the Cold War, along with heroes like Stanislav Petrov, who disobeyed protocol during a 1983 nuclear false alarm and prevented nuclear war. That same year, the Soviet Union shot down a South Korean airliner and misinterpreted NATO’s “Able Archer” exercise as preparations for a nuclear strike. KGB chairman Kryuchkov predicted a “nuclear war within 10 days” The world stood on the brink then, as it does again today.
Trump could have the opportunity to become “The Man of the 21st Century”by uniting democracies in this historic initiative with the goal to renew democracies and not abandon them.
IV. Trump's Peace in the USA: Not Use the "Department of War" Against the Alleged "Enemy Within"
Trump said today that he is not “a man of war”, as stated by many after the name change of the Department of Defense. He used his speech at the Knesset to say that he will avoid wars and make peace. Though two weeks ago the world had been watching how Trump and Hegseth gathered US army generals from all over the world with some worry when he announced that the US Army could be used against American citizens:
THE SUMMIT AGAINST THE “ENEMY WITHIN”
QUANTICO - While the world discusses cyberwars and modern drone-warfare of the 21st century, where soon no humans will be fighting anymore physically on the battlefield, the US leadership seemed to have decided to restore its military as a physical army of the 20th century where recruits were shouted into the face ("shark calls"), female and homosexual soldiers were restricted, and “political correctness” was rejected. Films like "Terminator" or "Robocop" showed us in the eighties how the fight of humans against armed robots might look like in real life in five years from now - obviously without a chance for humans to win such a fight. Nevertheless President Donald Trump and Secretary Pete Hegseth - after changing the "Department of Defense" into the "Department of War" - summoned hundreds of top US generals to Quantico in Virginia for a mandatory summit at the Marine Corps Museum in order to improve physical fighting skills and follow new rules of leadership.
The summit was dubbed by insiders as the "War on the Homefront"-Summit.What emerged was a blueprint for targeting an internal "enemy within," as Trump declared in his hour-long address: "America is under invasion from within… no different than a foreign enemy, but more difficult in many ways, because they don’t wear uniforms." These remarks follow recent National Guard deployments to Portland, Los Angeles, Memphis, and Chicago, hinting at a dangerous doctrinal shift.
Early assessments of these deployments paint a highly contentious picture, marked by legal battles, public opposition, and limited verifiable gains in public safety. In Los Angeles, where around 4,000 National Guard troops were federalized in June 2025 to quell protests against mass deportations, a federal judge ruled the deployment illegal on September 2, citing overreach under the Insurrection Act. Critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, condemned it as a dangerous escalation that diverted resources from drug interdiction efforts resulting in a 57% drop in fentanyl seizures and heightened community tensions without clear evidence of reduced violent crime. Washington, D.C., experienced an expansion of 800 National Guardsmen mobilized in August 2025 to secure federal buildings amid protests, yielding short-term declines in clashes near government sites and overall crime during the first two months. In Chicago, as of early October 2025, hundreds of Texas National Guard troops staged at an Army Reserve center outside city limits, facing swift legal pushback: Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul filed suit on October 6 to block the operation, arguing unlawful federalization, while President Trump threatened to jail state leaders; no engagements or crime reductions have occurred yet. Portland's federal involvement, renewed under Trump with 200 Oregon Guardsmen activated in September, temporarily quelled some protest disruptions but ignited fierce tensions, prompting U.S. District Judge Karin Immergut to block the deployment until at least October 18 amid appeals over state sovereignty. Memphis emerged as the next flashpoint, with Tennessee National Guard troops set to deploy in the city by October 10, 2025, as part of a federal crime-fighting task force; while local leaders see potential opportunities, the ACLU warned it risks normalizing military intervention in communities and inflaming divides rather than fostering lasting security.
Hegseth announced 10 directives to purge the "Woke Department", blaming "foolish toxic and reckless" political leaders for a wrong compass fixated on diversity. He railed against "fat troops" and "fat generals and admirals" in the halls of the Pentagon as unacceptable, advocating male level grooming, fitness, and gender neutral combat standards. "When it comes to any job that requires physical power… those physical standards must be high and gender neutral," he said. On women: "If women can make it, excellent. If not, it is what it is. If that means no women qualify for some combat jobs, so be it."
Trump proposed to train the military inner city, where normally the police shall ensure law and order: "I told Pete, we should use some of these dangerous cities as training grounds for our military… not just the National Guard, but our military." He quipped to the silent brass and said that dissenters could leave the room, "but there goes your rank, there goes your future".
The room stayed stoic, but former leaders vented afterward. Retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO commander, viewed the event as a push for cultural overhaul due to perceptions of an insufficiently lethal military. He pushed back, emphasizing that while leaders might dislike aspects of today's force, it remains "lethal" now and will stay so "long after they’re gone".Retired Rear Admiral Mark Montgomery decried it as a "complete missed opportunity," slamming Hegseth's comments on women in combat as demeaning, demoralizing and wrongheaded and Trump's training idea as "wildly inappropriate". He argued the secretary should have outlined a proper defense strategy. Lieutenant General Mike Groen, former Pentagon AI chief, called the summit "unprecedented," praising how Hegseth channeled the president's focus on physical ability and streamlined bureaucracy, which would "land near the heart of any grunt". Yet he lamented the omission of moral and ethical fitness, where strength comes from the mind, stressing that future wars require "wits, ethics, resilience and judgment as much as physical fitness". He contrasted US dirty boots grunts that can outthink and outlast any enemy; even if their hair is a little longer and boots a little dirtier with China's goose stepping troops.
Christopher Maier, former Special Ops assistant secretary, highlighted the risks of politicization by placing a "political message… front and center" in conflict with the stoic, nonpartisan senior leadership so publicly. Critics call the summit a declaration of war on the American people. An anonymous four star general said: "We’re built for the world stage, not the street corner." Trump may rewrite that, America watches warily.
"War Game" directed by Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss - a simulation of insurrection and the National Guard taking over American cities after a disputed election.
The 2024 documentary film War Game by filmmakers Tony Gerber and Jesse Moss, is a high-stakes war game simulation, which dramatizes a bipartisan exercise where U.S. officials role-play a post-election coup on January 6, 2025. That film, drawing on real participants like former Montana Governor Steve Bullock, retired General Wesley Clark, former North Dakota Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and Major General Linda Singh, underscores the fragility of democratic transitions when military loyalty is tested domestically. The summit's simulation - attended by an elite roster including sitting governors, senators, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, and FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino-mirrored these themes, positing scenarios of widespread urban insurrection fueled by the "enemy within." Key conclusions: U.S. forces could quash initial outbreaks in hours using overwhelming force, but sustaining control in prolonged civil unrest would strain resources, erode public trust, and risk escalation to martial law, with low-tech tactics like improvised barricades and urban guerrilla warfare complicating long-term stability.
"Good Night, and Good Luck" directed by George Clooney
Senator Joseph McCarthy sensationalises the threat of communism and tries to create a wave of fear among people to take advantage of it. A reporter and his producer decide to expose the senator.
Cinema for Peace hosted in 2003 George Clooney who spoke on the red carpet against the pending war in Iraq. In 2006, when we honored Clooney’s film "Good Night, and Good Luck", which deals with the silencing of dissent during the McCarthy era, he said: "I want to thank you for this award. It means a lot to me because last time I was there for Cinema for Peace, a couple of years ago just before the Iraq war, after walking in and coming home to the United States I was called a traitor to my own country. It made me a little angry and I wrote a film because of that. So you can honestly say that you were an active participant in us making this film."
Now 20 years later, the stark portrayal of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy returned to the stage as a Broadway production starring Clooney himself. Starting this weekend, the filmed Broadway production is available on Amazon Prime again. As Murrow and Clooney warned in "Good Night, and Good Luck": "We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home."