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A key figure appointed by President-elect Trump played a crucial role in brokering the Israel-Hamas ceasefire agreement, yet President Biden attempted to claim credit for the diplomatic breakthrough on Tuesday.
The successful negotiations culminated after Steve Witkoff, Trump’s designated Middle East envoy for his upcoming administration, held a pivotal discussion with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Saturday, as reported by The Times of Israel.
According to two Arab officials who spoke with the Jerusalem-based publication, Witkoff accomplished more progress toward the ceasefire in one meeting than Biden managed throughout the entire past year.
BREAKING: President-elect Trump has announced that he has made a deal for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas!
PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH is BACK and he’s not even in the White House yet🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/MCJiK01TZr
— Jessica 🇺🇸 (@RealJessica05) January 15, 2025
The real estate attorney and investor visited Doha, Qatar, to participate in discussions before concluding his diplomatic mission with the crucial meeting in Jerusalem with Netanyahu.
The breakthrough came just two days later when both Israeli and Hamas negotiators indicated their preliminary acceptance of the ceasefire terms.
“A deal could have been reached much earlier, but both sides led to talks falling apart at various times,” one Arab official told the Times.
Despite the Trump appointee’s apparent influence, the Biden administration rushed to claim responsibility for the diplomatic achievement, seemingly disregarding the incoming Trump administration’s instrumental role in securing the agreement.
Vice President Kamala Harris issued a White House statement declaring that the ceasefire was achieved “thanks to the leadership of President Joe Biden.”
“President Biden and I have no higher priority than the safety of Americans, and are determined that all the American hostages be returned home as part of this deal,” she insisted.
The Vice President continued to emphasize her personal involvement in the negotiations.
“In my many conversations with leaders in the region, my unwavering focus has been to end this war such that Israel is secure, the hostages are released, the suffering in Gaza ends, and the Palestinian people can realize their right to dignity, security, freedom, and self-determination,” Harris said.
Reminder that peace through strength is a real thing.
Trump secures the deal in less than 30 seconds. pic.twitter.com/8y19jjGVkW
— Florida Man Style (@FloridaManStyle) January 15, 2025
“I will never stop working to achieve a future of greater peace, dignity, and security for all people in the region,” she continued.
The motivation behind Biden and Harris’s claims appears transparent. As Biden concludes a challenging presidential term and Harris faces an uncertain political future following her recent defeat to Trump, their attempt to take credit for the ceasefire seems like a last-minute effort to enhance their political legacies before the transition of power.
However, the American public appears well aware of who truly facilitated this diplomatic breakthrough.