President deserves credit for Middle East peace efforts

Love him or hate him, give President Donald Trump credit for his efforts to secure peace in the Middle East. We'd like to think we can all agree he has done well on this stage, perhaps the most important one of all. 

Yes, there is still much to do and key details to be worked out, and some will argue this is a tenuous peace, subject to fighting breaking out at any moment, but there is no denying the significance of this achievement.

Consider that "all 20 living hostages held by Hamas and hundreds of Palestinian prisoners held by Israel walked free Monday as part of a ceasefire pausing two years of war that decimated the Gaza Strip and killed tens of thousands of Palestinians," as reported by the Associated Press.

“After so many years of unceasing war and endless danger, today the skies are calm. The guns are silent. The sirens are still. And the sun rises on a holy land that is finally at peace,” Trump said.

It's safe to say this would not have happened without the negotiating skills of President Trump.

He is not done in trying to secure peace deals, which he seems to be very good at doing.

On Thursday, Trump announced a second meeting with Russia's Vladimir Putin one day before sitting down with Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House as he again tries to end the war in Ukraine. According to the AP, a date has not been set, but Trump said the meeting would take place in Budapest, Hungary.

“I believe great progress was made with today’s telephone conversation,” Trump wrote on social media.

We think what Valerie M. Hudson, university distinguished professor at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, wrote is worth repeating:

"No matter who you voted for in the last election, you have to tip your hat to Donald J. Trump for what he has accomplished in the Middle East."

While we are aware President Trump has many detractors, his commitment to seeking peace, and actions to stop wars, are to be admired.