"I would love to be the one who made peace with Israel and the Palestinians," said Donald J Trump, as he assumed the presidency of the United States of America on Friday, 20 January 2017. ''That would be such a great achievement."
Trump and the Holy Land: 2016-2020 is the history of that effort. Starting with pledges Trump made during his presidential election campaign, it traces the development of what he termed "the deal of the century" from its inception to its final unveiling on 28 January 2020. The account of its evolution is set against the backdrop of a turbulent Middle East including such seminal events as Trump's recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital and his relocating the US embassy there. These, and much more, provide the setting for the slow emergence of the peace plan - events such as the defeat of the Islamic State caliphate, Trump's withdrawal from the Iranian nuclear deal, the centenary of the Balfour Declaration, and the discovery of vast gas and oil reserves in Israeli waters.
The story of the origins, the development, and the unveiling of the "deal of the century" can be seen and judged effectively only within the context of the ever-shifting political kaleidoscope. Trump and the Holy Land: 2016-2020 does just that.
