Former President Bill Clinton on Monday reportedly offered rare and striking praise for President Donald Trump, crediting him and his administration for brokering the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas that ended nearly two years of war in the Middle East.
In a statement posted on X, Clinton lauded the Trump administration’s diplomatic efforts and said the agreement represented a critical step toward stability in the region. “The horrors of the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, and the conflict they reignited, have resulted in unbearable human loss,” Clinton wrote. “It has been hard to watch and nearly impossible to rationalize.”
“I’m grateful that a ceasefire has taken hold, that the last 20 living hostages have been freed, and that desperately needed aid has begun to flow into Gaza,” he continued. “President Trump and his administration, Qatar, and other regional actors deserve great credit for keeping everyone engaged until the agreement was reached.”
Clinton added that the current challenge was to turn this “fragile moment into lasting peace” with the cooperation of both sides. “Now Israel and Hamas—with the support of the United States, the region, and the world—must try to turn this fragile moment into lasting peace that provides for the dignity and security of both Palestinians and Israelis,” he said. “I believe that they can get there, but only if they do it together.”
The public endorsement marked a rare moment of bipartisan acknowledgment in a political environment often defined by sharp division.
Clinton’s statement comes as many Democrats have been slow to credit Trump for his foreign policy achievements, particularly in the Middle East, where his administration has previously been credited with brokering the Abraham Accords between Israel and several Arab nations.
Former First Lady and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton also joined in offering praise, echoing her husband’s tone and emphasizing the significance of the deal. Speaking to CBS News, she said, “I really commend President Trump and his administration — as well as Arab leaders in the region — for making the commitment to the 20-point plan and seeing a path forward for what’s often called the day after.”
Her remarks reflected a notable shift from her past criticisms of Trump, acknowledging the administration’s diplomatic success and the role of regional partners in pushing both sides toward compromise.
The Clintons’ comments follow the release of the final hostages held by Hamas, a breakthrough that capped months of intense negotiations led by the Trump administration and supported by allies such as Qatar and Egypt. The ceasefire has been hailed internationally as a potential turning point, though officials on all sides acknowledge that the agreement remains fragile.
For the former president, who has long positioned himself as a global statesman, the words carried added weight — a signal that even his party’s elder statesmen recognize the magnitude of the Trump administration’s accomplishment.
As Bill Clinton put it succinctly, “This is a fragile moment,” but one that, for the first time in years, holds “the promise of lasting peace.”
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