The International Institute for Middle-East and Balkan Studies (IFIMES)[1], from Ljubljana, Slovenia, is renowned for its insightful and comprehensive analyses of global developments, with a particular focus on the Middle East, the Balkans, and other strategically significant regions worldwide. Among its distinguished contributors is Dr. J. Scott Younger, President Commissioner at Glendale Partners and a member of the IFIMES Advisory Board. In his article titled “A Trumpian world, or not!!!!,” Dr. Younger continues his examination of global affairs, focusing primarily on developments in Gaza and Ukraine.
At the new year several years ago, I wrote in my diary ‘’In looking through a world view prism most of mankind is just trying to get on with life, a few awkward individuals trying to make it follow their generally twisted thinking, whether from a religious or political or simply selfish basis, and a few presenting a decent, enlightened and compassionate viewpoint. It would appear that little or nothing has changed. And is it ever thus? Probably, but there are significantly more of us now and getting around the world and faster is much easier. The world has ‘shrunk’ just in a lifetime.
The western media have largely been taken up with the many ‘doings’ of the American President over the past month or so. In mid-September it was the occasion of the State visit to the UK at the invitation of King Charles. A grand affair of much pageant with everyone watching their ‘p’s and q’s so that nothing was said out of place, cause offence, and with undue flattery given to the President, as journalists have written. A few days later, the President spoke at a General Assembly meeting of the United Nations and ranted for over an hour, the usual length of speech being in the order of 15 minutes. Most of what he said was untrue, gibberish in other words. Climate change was a hoax, he said. (The US is the largest emitter of greenhouse gases). Further, Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London was the worst mayor in the world, as measured in terms of crime. He would soon be introducing sharia law! Wrong on both counts. Trump has hardly, been in London. The speech, repeating himself in his usual style, after a moment’s silence was greeted with a polite applause, much of the audience somewhat taken aback at the length and rambling content.
On the domestic front he decided to use the deemed power of his position – it being generally acknowledged that he ‘controls’ the Republican party – to go after the Democrats, whom he considers to have done him some wrong in the previous presidential campaigns. He is currently trying to do this against pro-democratic Chicago, Illinois, and Portland, Oregon, by putting in Federal troops, under the White House command, to clean up a crime level on the streets of the cities which he states, quite wrongly, exists. The judiciary at the highest level has been called in to check whether he has the powers to do this. In similar vein he has recalled all senior officers, generals, from stations around the world to lecture them on the situation, as he perceives it, and to alert them that they might be recalled to address a domestic problem should it get out of hand. He is determined to engage with these states despite strong objections which could backfire and cause needless trouble across the US. We have not heard the end of this.
A few weeks ago, Netanyahu ordered the IDF to bomb a hotel in Qatar where key Hamas people were staying as part of the team supposed to be negotiating a ceasefire in Gaza. Considerable damage was caused to the building but the Hamas negotiators were left unscathed. As Qatar is a close ally of the US, President Trump was not well pleased and so advised Netanyahu accordingly in robust terms. In short, this led to the Israeli PM, in Trump’s presence, reluctantly telephoning the Qatari Emir and apologising for the infraction. Meanwhile, Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, the Middle East envoy and Trump’s son-in-law respectively, were tasked with drawing up a detailed peace plan to stop the ongoing one-sided conflagration. This peace agreement of 20 points, with much fanfare, has recently been signed by all parties, reluctantly in some cases, and a ceasefire taken place bringing an end to hostilities, at least in the short term.
The key early part in the agreement relates to Hamas releasing all the hostages they captured 2 years ago, 20 still alive and 28 ostensibly in body bags. In exchange, the Israelis would release almost 2000 Palestinians held in captivity, some for as much as 20 years but most for largely flimsy reasons, often with no trial in conditions deplorable, some even suffering torture or other degrading things done to them. This must be balanced, however, by the shocking conditions which Hamas has inflicted on some of the hostages.
At time of writing, the Peace Agreement was signed just two-three days ago. Hamas is still looking for dead hostages some yet unidentified or simply not found underneath the 55 billion tons of rubble which is all that remains of Gaza city. The Hamas people have not disarmed, and do not look as if they intend to. The IDF have withdrawn to a line roughly half way back to the old boundary of the Gaza strip. Each side wary of the other. Peace may have been declared, and the Palestinian people are relieved, but it would not take much to trigger a resumption of hostilities, particularly when the Israeli PM feels that he has been ‘robbed’ of finishing the war on his terms.
The clauses of the Agreement deal with matters going forward, but most of these usually and naturally are quite vague. What is the nature of the organisation to handle the transition of power to the Palestinians, minus Hamas, and engage in the start of the rebuilding of the Gaza strip. The 2-state solution is the only way to secure peace for the future, and no one said this more forcibly than King Abdullah of Jordan, despite Netanyahu saying the opposite. The sooner the state of Israel changes its government the better, and then there will be a chance to make a lasting peace. Israel must change from acting like an authoritarian state, although it would deny that, since it thinks it is a democracy and there is press freedom. There is not, at the moment, anyway; the press is under the control of Netanyahu’s government, which is why some of the public wrongly believe and state the government line that there is no food shortage and critical starvation in Gaza, for instance.
Several foreign correspondents, who know the area well, take a rightfully correct stance of doubting that the Peace Plan will work but hoping otherwise. Hamas’ slow return of the hostage body-bags has presented the IDF to close off one of the entries for food aid. Now Hamas are admitting that it will be difficult, if not impossible, for them to return all the body bags because Gaza is almost entirely just a mass of rubble from the unrelenting Israeli bombing of the past months, and it will take time and earth-moving machines to retrieve them. At least President Trump has recognised this, so some allowance of time can be expected. Those opposing the Peace Plan will be looking for any excuse to derail it. Hamas has not yet disarmed, as per the agreement, and strut around showing off their weaponry. Trump is not impressed and has promised violent retribution. Difficult days ahead.
President Trump does not have a reputation as having a long attention span. It is therefore important that his appointees to the transition role, which will also take responsibility for the rebuilding of the strip and involving and training up the Palestinians to take over the government. However, in the 2- state solution, in parallel the problems of the west bank must be resolved. The Israeli settlers have, for the past three decades, been creeping onto Palestinian land, their government turning a blind eye to this illegal action, if not encouraging it. The 2-state solution has been made more difficult by this action. Watch the days ahead.
The US has now turned its attention to the other troubled area, Ukraine. President Zelenskiy is arriving in Washington today to advise President Trump of the latest situation. Let us wait to see what comes out of that. I have no reason to alter my thoughts as expressed at the beginning! Life continues as before, the weapons of destruction only becoming more sophisticated. Hello, drones!
About the author:
Dr. J. Scott Younger, OBE, is a professional civil engineer; he spent 42 years in the Far East undertaking assignments in 10 countries for WB, ADB, UNDP. He published many papers; he was a columnist for Forbes Indonesia and Globe Asia. He served on British & European Chamber boards and was a Vice Chair of Int’l Business Chamber for 17 years. His expertise is infrastructure and sustainable development and he takes an interest in international affairs. He is an International Chancellor of the President University, Indonesia and Honorary Senior Research Fellow of the Glasgow University. He is a member of IFIMES Advisory Board. Lived and worked in Thailand from 1978 to 1983 and visited Burma, Bangladesh and Nepal for projects.
The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect IFIMES official position.
Ljubljana/Glasgow, 17 October 2025
[1] IFIMES - International Institute for Middle East and Balkan Studies, based in Ljubljana, Slovenia, has a special consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council ECOSOC/UN in New York since 2018, and it is the publisher of the international scientific journal "European Perspectives."
