Israel and the Middle East: America’s Forever War

A ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect on January 19, 2025, ushering a temporary pause in the conflict and a release of both hostages and Palestinian prisoners. While it’s always great to see innocent people reunited with their families, this ceasefire, akin to the last, is unlikely to lead to any long-lasting peace and is instead shaping up to be a mere pause in a greater conflict.

A few days before the truce went into effect, Antony Blinken, the U.S. Secretary of State, said that Hamas had “recruited almost as many new militants as it has lost,” and claimed that this was a recipe for “perpetual war.” Blinken’s statements are more of a projection than anything else, for it’s America and thus Israel which have turned the Middle East into its own forever war. Blinken’s remarks also fly in the face of what was promised leading up to the conflict that heightened following October 7, 2023, which was the complete elimination of Hamas.

This goal was the reason that every call for peace was shunned and why the Israeli American bombing runs were so brutal and devastating. The reason for thousands of dead Palestinians and the millions displaced was supposedly justified to end Hamas once and for all. But now, after over a year of bloodshed, the warmongers are saying that Hamas has regained its strength. After all of that, nothing has changed. Unfortunately, nothing was ever supposed to change in the first place.

When Blinken spoke of a recipe for a perpetual war, he was speaking of his own recipe or, more specifically, the plan of Israel and America’s government and military leadership. For the preservation of a perpetual war, the proclaimed enemy Hamas must continue to exist. With them in power, America and Israel can continue their military operations in the region indefinitely and maintain a 1 State policy that never entertains the notion of Palestinian sovereignty.

While President Donald J. Trump has taken much of the credit for the recent ceasefire, the war-hawking rhetoric of his cabinet unfortunately indicates that the pause in the conflict is meant to set the stage for further war efforts down the line. Under Trump administration, the renewed involvement in the Middle Eastern conflict will also likely be justified under the aim of weakening Iran and eliminating Hamas. These are, after all, excuses that have been used time and again.

The prospect of further conflict will always remain high so long as America continues to intervene in the Middle East, and their involvement is expected to increase under Trump’s leadership. In the statement where he took credit for the ceasefire, Trump announced that his Special Envoy to the Middle East will “continue to work closely with Israel” to make sure Gaza never “becomes a terrorist safe haven.” He also promised that he will “continue promoting peace through strength throughout the region.”

In other words, America will continue funding and supporting Israel as they meddle in the nation’s affairs and the greater conflict throughout the Middle East. A “peace through strength” policy in the Middle East also sounds like the American government will be doubling down on the array of military bases they have throughout the Arab world. Although it’s early in the republican regime, it appears that America will continue in its policy of being the world police, especially when it comes to supporting Israel.

The previous ceasefire was intended as a waiting game for Trump’s inauguration. In kind, this ceasefire, which was reached on the eve of Trump’s inauguration, is intended to further prepare for America’s continued war efforts to eliminate Hamas and weaken Iran. While it has been nice to have some reprieve to the bloodshed and to see innocent people being spared, applause should be reserved. Instead, caution should be displayed in the face of a newly instituted republican administration that has promised to be hawkish against Iran and fervently and devoutly pro-Israel.