VIEWPOINT | The peace we need now is right here at home

Guest column by Brian Bengs, U.S. Senate candidate (I-Aberdeen)

The news from Gaza finally contains a glimmer of hope. President Trump, for all his unorthodox diplomacy, succeeded in establishing a framework for peace with an initial cessation of hostilities and a path toward a resolution many thought impossible. Where his predecessor, Joe Biden, stalled and struggled to move the needle, President Trump has delivered an essential first step with the release of the surviving hostages.

The framework is not a final peace deal, and the shaky ceasefire foreshadows the enormous hurdles ahead: governance, reconstruction, and deep-seated distrust and grievance harbored by all parties. The framework is, however, a critical acknowledgment that endless conflict is unsustainable and only a bold, new approach can break the cycle. It is a good start and a testament to what can be accomplished when committing to a new direction.

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