It was an extraordinary day in the Middle East. Hostages returned home to scenes of jubilation and relief — the sound of their families’ cries echoing across television screens. In Jerusalem, Donald Trump received a hero’s welcome in the Knesset, where Prime Minister Netanyahu announced the bestowing of the Israel Prize upon the US President to mark the occasion. Trump, basking in the applause, declared that “the hostages are back.” Meanwhile, he’s been claiming credit not just for this peace deal, but for ending several wars, reviving the region, and deserving the Nobel Peace Prize himself. 

But what exactly are we watching unfold here? Is this, as some have argued, a genuine moment of geopolitical progress? Or something closer to what political strategists call “dead-cat diplomacy”: dramatic, headline-grabbing moves that divert attention from deeper problems at home and abroad? 

In today’s podcast, Ciara Doherty examines the spectacle and the substance of Trump’s latest Middle East gambit - the hostages, the photo-ops, and the politics behind them - before turning to Professor Stefan Wolff, an expert on international security from the University of Birmingham. Together, they explore how much real progress has been made, and whether Trump’s brand of “peace through power” could have lasting effects. 

They also discuss the argument made by former Biden advisor Robert Malley, who, in a rare note of concession, suggested that Trump’s actions, while unorthodox, demonstrate an effective exercise of power politics. But is that effectiveness sustainable, or just another moment of chaos disguised as success?