ED MORRISSEY: Time Mag: Guess Which Term Was Missing From Trump’s ‘Peace 2025’ Speech?
To even discuss statehood, Trump made clear, the Palestinians will have to earn it — at the most basic level, by respecting the established states in their own region. That means recognizing Israel as a permanent Jewish state, with inviolable borders. It also means respecting the conventions of statehood, specifically the Geneva Convention, while addressing grievances of any nature. In this case, it also will likely require that the Palestinians in both the West Bank and Gaza restructure their public sectors for accountability rather than for graft, systems that put an end to terrorism against Israel as a fallback mechanism for corruptocrats attempting to avoid said accountability.
“We’ll have to see” puts the onus for statehood where it belongs — on the people of Gaza and the West Bank. When they make the choice to act like respectable states, only then should the world consider recognition of a Palestinian state. They are not owed that recognition, especially on the basis of their conduct over the three decades since Oslo. This two-year war was only the latest in a series of intifadas and worse from both territories, and this time the US finally stopped attempting to freeze the cancer instead of excising it.
In other words, the Palestinians will have to overcome the mentality of murdering rock concert attendees, and kidnappers who should – and do – know better:
Former Israeli hostage Tal Shoham says he was held captive by a first grade teacher, a University lecturer, and a doctor in Gaza.
He describes how he was intentionally starved despite there being plenty of food for his captors, who bragged about stealing aid. pic.twitter.com/UPShT1lO0t
— AG (@AGHamilton29) October 14, 2025
Ed adds, “Back to Time Magazine, however, which featured a weird image of Trump on its cover. Trump complained about it on Truth Social:”
Is this a legit gripe? Take a look and decide for yourselves. You may need to click through to see the whole image:
The living Israeli hostages held in Gaza have been freed under the first phase of Donald Trump's peace plan, alongside a Palestinian prisoner release. The deal may become a signature achievement of Trump's second term, and it could mark a strategic turning point for the Middle… pic.twitter.com/0bZDABIDGj
— TIME (@TIME) October 13, 2025
Ed believes that “Except for the hair, it’s actually a great shot. It’s a ‘hero’ pose, one that captures or suggests determination, will, and strength. Given the usual manner in which Protection Racket Media outlets choose images of Trump, it’s a significant improvement, especially with the bold headline, HIS TRIUMPH below it.”
I’m not sure about that – ever since Time founder Henry Luce passed away in 1967, Time magazine covers almost always make it obvious whether the magazine’s editors think their cover subject is a good guy or a bad guy.* And since 2016, it’s been obvious what Time’s editors think of Trump. At a minimum, they know how vain Trump is, and how the emphasis on his sagging chin would make him furious.
* QED: “The first time Mr Trump was named Time’s person of the year in 2016, he was pictured alongside the caption: ‘President of the divided states of America’. Some suggested the placement of the M in the title, positioned behind his head, has been intended to mimic devil horns.”

