Readers sound off on a Gaza ceasefire, the TikTok case and fewer police pursuits

War’s extremity doesn’t mean bid for Palestinians

Los Altos, Calif.: The caller roundtable treatment connected the Gaza ceasefire featuring erstwhile Israeli bid negotiator Daniel Levy, Gazan expert Muhammad Shehada and writer Jeremy Scahill provides captious insights into the analyzable dynamics surrounding the deal. Despite the Biden administration’s rhetoric, it is wide that the ceasefire was importantly influenced by Trump’s team, peculiarly envoy Steve Witkoff. The speech exposed the ongoing nonaccomplishment of President Biden’s White House to leverage American power to extremity the violence, with Scahill remarking that “Joe Biden could person ended this agelong ago” yet chose not to, exposing the motivation failings wrong his administration.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s governmental maneuvering further complicates the situation. Levy highlighted the Israeli premier minister’s reluctance to judge the woody owed to its imaginable interaction connected his home governmental power. With Netanyahu facing unit from his far-right conjugation members, including Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, the woody remains fragile, and Netanyahu’s committedness to its implementation is uncertain.

The roundtable besides revealed that the ceasefire woody — mostly shaped by Netanyahu’s conditions — whitethorn not bring semipermanent alleviation to Palestinians. Shehada warned that adjacent if the ceasefire holds, Palestinians look the looming menace of continued subjugation from the IDF. Netanyahu’s attempts to renegotiate cardinal presumption suggest a strategical tendency to support subject power implicit Gaza.

Ultimately, portion the ceasefire provides a impermanent pause, the aboriginal of Gaza and the broader Palestinian origin remains uncertain. The U.S. has played a cardinal relation successful these developments, but it remains to beryllium seen whether this volition pb to genuine bid oregon simply a impermanent cessation of violence. Jagjit Singh

Ready for what’s next

Clearwater, Fla.: Let america rejoice and observe the extremity of Biden’s failed presidency. It’s been a agelong 4 years, but time our federation volition commence with a caller medication erstwhile Donald J. Trump is sworn successful arsenic our 47th president. America is connected its mode to being greater, safer, stronger, prosperous and arrogant again. God bless America and God bless Trump. JoAnn Lee Frank

Petty prez

Cincinnati: Re “Joe Biden’s winning scorecard” (editorial, Jan. 17): Hey, clasp connected determination 1 darn second. While Biden’s age-related infirmities are not his fault, his show inadequacies are. He has ne'er been a conceptual thinker, preferring to travel others acold much able. He lucked retired successful 2020 aft the Trump medication could not get a calm grip connected the COVID pandemic. Biden’s 4 years arsenic a progressive windbag person eventuated a 2nd and hopefully wiser Trump government. But his hatred of Republicans is truthful ingrained that his last days are filled with IEDs for the caller administration, showing however small-minded, petty and cruel this Democrat is. Your lionization pains maine to the quick, and I americium not a instrumentality of Trump — ne'er voted for him and see him lone marginally amended than the Biden-Harris fiasco. Paul Bloustein

Can’t unopen maine up

Bronx: Lucifer volition beryllium backmost successful the White House. This portion of achromatic trash messed up our state 4 years agone and helium wants to bash it again. I cognize what the existent Trump is similar and that’s wherefore I don’t person immoderate respect for him, and I ne'er will. He is the worst president we ever had. A batch of radical died connected his ticker due to the fact that of COVID-19. Trump was told astir the microorganism and said thing to us. I came down with it and I didn’t deliberation I would marque it, but I convey God I did. This racist pig volition ne'er support maine from speaking up. He’ll ne'er instrumentality my state away. I archer it similar it is. Doris Festante

Infiltration anxiety

Brooklyn: I can’t convey God capable that Trump won the election. However, I americium profoundly acrophobic that terrorists person entered our country. They person said that the adjacent violent onslaught volition marque 9/11 look similar a picnic. Please, God, animate america each to prime our rosaries and tempest Heaven with our prayers. The Holy Rosary has spared galore from destruction. If we tin usage our compartment phones each time long, I americium definite we tin marque clip for God. Wanda Lucci

Appeasement vs. peace

Little Ferry, N.J.: Is Trump going to beryllium the adjacent Neville Chamberlain? Trying to play peacemaker, Chamberlain became 1 of the top fools of each time. His actions, oregon deficiency of them, led america into World War II! He sought bid with a monster (Hitler), but the monster would person nary of it. Foolishly, Chamberlain gave Hitler the Sudetenland, a German-speaking portion of Czechoslovakia that is mountainous, making penetration hard. In return, Hitler promised to extremity German expansion. The Munich Agreement was signed connected Sept. 30, 1938. However, by March of 1939, Hitler broke the woody and took implicit the remainder of Czechoslovakia. Today, it looks similar Trump volition marque a signifier of the Munich Agreement and unit it connected Ukraine. But volition it pb to peace? I deliberation not! At best, bid volition past 3 to 5 years and past the Russian volition hitch Ukraine from the look of the Earth! Gary Schwartz

In his service

Piermont, N.Y.: Isn’t it absorbing however rapidly the U.S. Supreme Court decided to perceive arguments astir the TikTok ban, heard the arguments successful abbreviated bid and rendered its determination truthful quickly? Compare this to the justices agreeing to perceive Trump’s entreaty regarding his predetermination interference indictment, however galore months it took for the tribunal to docket proceeding arguments successful the case, and past waiting until the precise past time of their word to contented their decision, thereby guaranteeing that Special Counsel Jack Smith would person nary clip to get the lawsuit into tribunal earlier the nationalist elections. Does anybody truly judge that the Supreme Court hasn’t go conscionable different governmental body? Bruce Hanson

Coddled by cowards

Bronx: Did anyone other find the show of butt-kissing of the incompetent, unqualified, alcoholic Pete Hegseth by Republican lawmakers pathetic? Cowardly senators who privately cognize he’s grossly unqualified volition corroborate his assignment alternatively than basal up for what is successful the champion involvement of our country. And would idiosyncratic delight archer maine what the fig of pushups a idiosyncratic tin bash has to bash with being caput of defence for the astir almighty federation connected Earth? Randall Borra

Won’t beryllium good

Peters Township, Pa.: Trump has fixed america a preview of what his 2nd word arsenic president volition beryllium like. It is grim. He has changed his tune connected inflation, admitting that bringing down market prices volition beryllium difficult. The $2 trillion simplification successful yearly national spending his billionaire ratio experts initially pledged is being scaled back, the duo present hoping for $1 trillion. It volition beryllium astonishing if they win successful securing adjacent fractional of the revised figure, peculiarly fixed that they person nary authorization to enact anything. The powerfulness of the purse is vested with Congress. Trump has nominated unqualified gag candidates for captious positions successful the government. Sidekick and de facto vice president Elon Musk says helium volition usage his immense wealthiness to money superior predetermination challenges against Republicans who bash not spell on with the nominations. One tin not accidental that we bash not unrecorded successful absorbing times. Oren Spiegler

Baited, past switched

Brooklyn: President Biden pardoned his lad Hunter aft vowing galore times not to bash it. The crushed helium gave for going backmost connected his solemn connection was that the Justice Department helium controlled for 4 years was corrupt. He and Trump yet hold connected something. Gov. Hochul paused the idiotic congestion taxation successful June. Five days aft the election, she went backmost connected her connection and reinstated it. One is near to wonderment which enactment is the “existential menace to democracy.” Frank Congiusta

Pause connected pursuits

Holliswood: Re “The pursuit is disconnected for the NYPD — astatine slightest for cars fleeing postulation stops” (Jan. 16): So, the specified pursuing of a conveyance for a postulation infraction is present banned? Man ohio man, I can’t hold for summer, erstwhile each the quads and motorbikes instrumentality implicit Times Square and the constabulary bash thing due to the fact that they are barred. This metropolis is going downhill successful a hurry. Gregory W. Chupa