Ron Agam

Let’s start with a joke that became history: the Swedes, in their famed generosity, handed over the right to distribute the Nobel Peace Prize to their oil-soaked neighbor, Norway — a country that turned moral arrogance into a national export.

Imagine if one prize could restart stalled peace talks, end a war, or at least open the door to meaningful dialogue. In a world consumed by the tragedies of Gaza and Ukraine, traditional diplomacy is paralyzed. 

The past week has made one thing clear: in the Middle East, the United States remains the only serious global power.

I’m not a diplomat. I’m a citizen who wants the sirens to stop and kids to sleep through the night. So here it is straight: Hamas in power is a dead end for Palestinians and for every Arab country trying to build a future.

The United Nations vote this week, co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, declaring support for a Palestinian state was predictable in outcome and devastating in symbolism. 

Western capitals are fond of stagecraft: a well-timed summit, a photograph with leaders, a ringing communiqué. But in the Middle East, applause does not translate into capacity. When statements replace structures, the result is spectacle — not security.

French President Emmanuel Macron likes to say he is a “friend” of Israel. But when we set aside the rhetoric and examine the last 18 months of his policy moves, a different picture emerges — one in which Paris has consistently undercut Israel’s strategic position, elevated Egypt’s leverage over Gaza, and nudged Europe’s Middle East posture in a direction that limits Israeli autonomy.

There is no tragedy more perverse than the lie that Hamas is a victim.

President Emmanuel Macron’s announcement that France will recognize a Palestinian state this September is not diplomacy — it is a reward for terror.

Stop peddling fantasies from the Quai d’Orsay: a “two‑state” miracle will not spring from champagne toasts while hatred is still subsidised, sanctified and celebrated in Ramallah and Gaza.

There was a time when I believed in Emmanuel Macron. Not passively — passionately.

Imagine a heartbreaking photograph—a child motionless among the ruins, a haunting image swiftly shared by millions, igniting global outrage and condemnation of Israel.