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To Strike or not to Strike. The Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, accompanied by two military supply ships and two U.S. Coast Guard cutters, sail towards Iran in the Arabian Sea as aircraft from Carrier Air Wing 9 fly overhead. (Photo: CENTCOM)
ARTICLES
Please note there is a facility to comment beneath each article should you wish to express an opinion on the subject addressed.
(1)
BRAVE HEART
A fulfillment of a sacred vow – to bring them all home By Rolene Marks
Lion of Judah. With a broken shoulder, 24-yer-old Ran Gvili went into battle and fought like a lion. “First in, last out,” in the words of his bereaved mother, Ran symbolizes the courage and self-sacrifice of Israel’s finest young people.
The upside-down world that we now live in. By Neville Berman
Palestinian Puzzle. While ‘Indigenous Peoples’ from the Kurds and the Rohingya to the Tibetans, Uyghurs and Yazidis struggle for their cause of sovereign rights to globally resonate, not so for the Palestinians. Has it less to do with being Palestinian and more to do with their adversary being a ‘Jewish’ state?
Not only an attraction for Israel travelers, this captivating Mediterranean gem is attracting Israelis who are contributing to the Island and its tourism industry. By Motti Verses
Beauty Spot. The writer marveling at the beauty where legend has it that Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty was born. For centuries, people have traveled here to sweep their loved one off their feet. More and more Israeli tourists are showing that are being swept off their feet by Cyprus.
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
While there is much skepticism of Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ – particularly across Western Europe – many in the Arab media are more approving, viewing it as a last ‘shot’ at peace for the region. Whether expectation is a consequence of exasperation, time will tell.
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
Perspectives and insights from writers in the Arab media
While there is much skepticism and critique – mostly across Europe and in the Western press – to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, many in the Arab media look more favorably on it, even if viewing it as a last ‘shot’ at peace – pun intended.
Even a stalwart opponent of the US president like Thomas E. Friedman, despite his skepticism of the plan as noted in the article below, has subsequently come round to seeing some merit, writing in the NYT that, “President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for the Gaza Strip is a smart plan for turning a bomb crater into a launchpad for peace.”
Below are writers from the region – UAE and Turkey -addressing the issue reflecting a growing loss of confidence in the UN as well as the “traditional mediating countries” to “deliver results.”
Whether expectation is a consequence of exasperation, time will tell.
David E. Kaplan Editor Lay of the Land February 7, 2026
NO BETTER ALTERNATIVE TO TRUMP’S BOARD OF PEACE By Radwan al-Sayed
Al-Ittihad, UAE, January 27
US President Donald Trump announced the formation of a Board of Peace and succeeded in attracting more than 30 countries to the idea before complaints and reservations began to escalate. He pointed out that a number of major European countries had not yet joined, as some viewed the initiative as vague and ill-defined.
Among the most prominent skeptics was the well-known American journalist Thomas Friedman, who wrote in The New York Times that under Trump, the US no longer takes into account the interests of its allies nor engages seriously in negotiating with its opponents.
Yet the central question remains:
What possibilities and alternatives exist in light of the tragedy that has been unfolding for over two years in Gaza and the West Bank?
It is evident that the UN and its various commissions have been unable to deliver results, just as the traditional mediating countries have failed, leaving little on the table other than Trump’s initiative.
Trump was able to impose a ceasefire through the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit and secure the withdrawal of the IDF from half of the Gaza Strip, even if Israeli killing did not cease entirely. With the start of the second phase, two developments followed:
First, the formation of a committee to manage civilian sectors in the Strip, the opening of land crossings, and the clearing of a path for the entry of international forces tasked with disarming Hamas and establishing security, allowing the Israeli army to gradually withdraw from the entire Strip, amid Israeli and American threats over what will happen if Hamas refuses to disarm.
The second development was Trump’s announcement of the Board of Peace, to be chaired by him, with the aim of rebuilding Gaza, thinking about its future, and reviving the two-state solution. Once again, Israel agreed to participate only reluctantly and is expected to hesitate and object at every step, however small; Netanyahu rejects the deployment of Turkish troops in Gaza and refuses any reference to a two-state solution within the project.
President Donald Trump holds a signing founding charter at the “Board of Peace” at January’s meeting in Davos, Switzerland. (Photo:Fabrice Coffrini / AFP – Getty Images)
In light of all this and while the obstacles are significant, no one yet has put forward a viable alternative that Palestinians and Arabs could reasonably reject. Furthermore, Trump’s proposal for Gaza, despite its many gaps and unanswered questions, remains the only concrete plan on the ground, offering a measure of stability and the possibility of progress toward certain human and political rights for the Palestinian people.
In wars of domination, it is an illusion to demand peace and justice simultaneously from the strong. The ceasefire is on the verge of being consolidated, the management committee is stepping in to stabilize it, and the Board of Peace promises a different future for Gaza. This is the opportunity that Arab and international participants in both the steering committee and the Board of Peace must seize. Let us begin speaking about justice under American guarantees, for there are no others available.
Radwan al-Sayed
TRUMP’S GAZA PLAN
‘I don’t see an alternative to what’s being proposed. I really don’t,’ says Yousef al-Otaiba.
By Iyad Nabolsi/ Rania Abushamala
Anadolu Agency, Ankara, Turkey.
Emirati Ambassador to Washington Yousef al-Otaiba said that he does not see “an alternative” to US President Donald plan for Palestinian displacement from the Gaza Strip.
Al-Otaiba made the statement during the World Government Summit in Dubai on Wednesday amid regional and international opposition to Trump’s plan to take over Gaza and displace Palestinians elsewhere.
During a session at the summit, al-Otaibi was asked by his interviewer if common ground could be found with the Trump administration regarding Gaza, he said Abu Dhabi was “going to try” to find common ground with the US president.
He termed the US approach to Gaza as “difficult.”
“But at the end of the day, we’re all in a solution-seeking business, we just don’t know where it’s going to land yet,” the diplomat said.
When asked if the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is working on an alternative plan to Trump’s proposal, al-Otaiba responded: “I don’t see an alternative to what’s being proposed. I really don’t.” “So if someone has one, we’re happy to discuss it, we’re happy to explore it, but it hasn’t surfaced yet.”
On Tuesday, Egypt announced that it would propose a plan to rebuild Gaza without displacing the territory’s population.
US President Donald Trump (center) speaks during the Sharm El-Sheikh Peace Summit in the Egyptian Red Sea resort town of Sharm el-Sheikh on October 13, 2025. (Photo: Saul Loeb/AFP)
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II also emphasized the urgent need to begin Gaza’s reconstruction without displacing Palestinians.
On Wednesday, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed received a phone call from US Secretary of State Marco Rubio during which he emphasized the importance of working towards a just and comprehensive peace in the Middle East, ensuring security and stability for all based on a two-state solution, the state news agency WAM reported.
Iyad Nabolsi/ Rania Abushamala
While the mission of Lay of the Land (LotL) is to provide a wide and diverse perspective of affairs in Israel, the Middle East and the Jewish world, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by its various writers are not necessarily ones of the owners and management of LOTL but of the writers themselves. LotL endeavours to the best of its ability to credit the use of all known photographs to the photographer and/or owner of such photographs (0&EO).
