But first—meet the top American official whose Star of David ring inside Lebanon’s Presidential Palace made headlines, winning over Lebanese media while rattling pro-Iranian factions.
Deputy Middle East Envoy Morgan Ortagus shakes hand with the new Lebanese president. This enlarged image of the engraved Star of David on her ring went viral in Lebanon.
Ortagus with Lebanon’s President Joseph Aoun
THE STAR OF DAVID AND A BOLD U.S. STATEMENT IN LEBANON. Morgan Ortagus, President Trump’s Deputy Special Envoy for Middle East Peace, made history in Lebanon over the weekend when she stood inside the Presidential Palace to address a press conference and boldly thanked Israel for liberating Lebanon from Hezbollah and Iran as President Joseph Aoun stood by watching. But she didn’t stop there. She shook hands with the Lebanese president while wearing a ring engraved with the Star of David—a striking gesture in a country where such a symbol has rarely, if ever, appeared so prominently at a state function. She then posed with a Lebanese Army officer beside a captured Iranian-supplied Katyusha rocket seized from Hezbollah’s arsenal. Her actions sent shockwaves through pro-Iran circles, while many Lebanese, grateful for U.S. and Israeli efforts, hailed her as a hero. Want to see the reactions? Check out the comments below the post in this link.
The Ultimate Troll? Ortagus with a seized Katyusha rocket—sending a message to Hezbollah on the terror group’s home turf. Source: @MorganOrtagus
THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN WENT SMOOTHER THAN EXPECTED. Unlike the media’s grim expectations, there were no fireworks in President Trump and King Abdullah’s White House meeting this week.
The biggest takeaway? The Middle East is now seriously debating Gaza’s reconstruction—after relocating its population. Regional players are stepping up with alternative solutions, including the Arab League’s call for Hamas to disarm and leave the enclave—exactly what Israel has been demanding for months.
Other Gains: The Jordanian King agreed to take in 2,000 Gazan children, refrained from objecting to a U.S. role in Gaza’s future, and avoided publicly opposing the relocation of Gaza’s population to neighboring countries. President Trump, optimistic about his proposal, saw no need to raise the prospect of suspending American aid to Jordan. The reason was clear: King Abdullah had publicly softened his country’s stance on the idea of U.S. involvement in Gaza and population relocation. While he later tweeted his opposition to the relocation aspect, he signaled a willingness to engage with the President on how the broader plan could be implemented.
The Media Was Not Expecting This.CNN said the King “did not outrightly reject the idea.” The New York Times noted that “King Abdullah largely demurred” when asked by reporters about relocating Gazans. And the United Arab Emirates-based Arabic network, Al-Ain, focused on the implementation aspect of the plan, headlining: “Jordan’s King on hosting Gazans: ‘I think the point is, how do we make this work in a way that is good for everybody?’”.
The President Offered New Details on His Proposal. This first meeting on the Gaza plan was remarkable for another reason: the President fleshed out what the media had dismissed as a vague, underdeveloped proposal. Not anymore. The President explained to reporters in the Oval Office, with King Abdullah seated next to him, that “he’d like to see Gaza developed into a lucrative property for resorts and office buildings.”
OPPOSITION EXISTS, BUT SOME PALESTINIANS AND ARABS BACK TRUMP’S IDEA. While Arab governments push back, a growing number of Arab and Palestinian influencers are publicly supporting U.S. control over Gaza after relocation. They aren’t staying quiet—they’re challenging critics and driving a heated debate. On Palestinian and Arab social media, discussions are surging over relocation and the missteps that led to this moment.
We’ve curated key examples of how and why these voices are rallying behind the President’s plan:
- Kuwaiti columnist Salah Al-Sayer on X: “There is no chance for a Palestinian state after October 7. We must choose a decent life for Palestinians, wherever that may be.”
- ‘I Am A Palestinian, And I Stand With Trump’s Gaza Plan’ – Palestinian columnist Majdi Abd Al-Wahhab writes in the respected Saudi news site Elaf. He supports Trump’s proposal to evacuate Gaza, arguing that Palestinians deserve a future beyond Hamas rule. Read his original Arabic piece here and the English version here.
- A Gazan man’s plea to Trump: In a viral video (see below), he urges: “Please take us out of Gaza—to Europe or the U.S., but not Egypt!”
This Gazan says he wants out of Gaza but appeals to President Trump to send him and his family anywhere but Egypt. Source: @SafaaAlNuaimi
- Gazans Tell German TV They Want Out Of Gaza: Germany’s state-owned broadcaster Deutsche Welle aired interviews with Gazans who support Trump’s plan and want to leave. See below one such supporter.
A still from interviews with multiple Gazans supportive of Trump’s plan, aired by German broadcaster DW. Source: @PeaceComCenter
- Lebanese Researcher Hussain Abdul-Hussain urges Arab states and the international community: “Forget Palestinian pride, heroism, and poetry. Gaza is an extension of Sinai. See the map.” He shares a map showing Gaza’s physical link to Egypt. See his post.
- Emirati think tank president Amjad Taha backs Trump’s plan and rejects a two-state solution: “No one wants Hamas or the Muslim Brotherhood as a neighbor. The only real solution is an international coalition to wipe them out before even mentioning a one, two, or three-state deal.” Read his full post in English here.
- Egyptian commentator Sherif Ahmed argues Gaza is a lost cause and urges Egypt to focus on its own interests: “Reconstruction is impossible while Hamas exists. Egypt is more important than Gaza, Palestine, and all Arab countries.” In another post, he warns: “Egypt should not pay the price for Iran and Hamas’ war.”
- Top Arab official calls for Hamas to disarm. Arab League Secretary General Ahmed Aboul Gheit, a former Egyptian foreign minister, told Saudi network Al Arabiya that Hamas should disarm and surrender if it serves Palestinian interests—echoing a key Israeli demand. His statement came after Trump’s White House meeting with Jordan’s king.
AS FOR THE TRUCE AND OUR HOSTAGES—A WARNING & AN ULTIMATUM: NO MORE APPEASEMENT. Hamas didn’t see this coming. If it fails to return the hostages by Saturday noon, it faces a dire warning. President Trump issued his ultimatum about a Saturday deadline for Hamas to release all hostages, reinforcing his earlier warning against starving and mistreating the captives: “I don’t know how long we’re gonna take that.”Watch that video.
Even the UN Is Calling Out Hamas. In a rare move, UN humanitarian officials contradicted Hamas’ claims of aid shortages, confirming that aid flows into Gaza have increased significantly since the truce—with no Israeli obstacles. Read the report.
