CAN the ceasefire endure for any significant length of time? This would go some way to ameliorating the incredible suffering in the region, but does it all hinge on one man, more than the future of the region has ever depended in its entire history?
Ceasefires can’t hold if no progress is made in addressing the underlying issues that led to the conflict in the first place.
This, very unfortunately, appears to be the case in this Middle East conflict.
Given the hugely positive response from the world to the ceasefire, what could possibly go wrong?
Surely, everyone wants it to work?
But what actually led to the cessation of hostilities in the first place?
Logically, it follows, something must have changed, given how long the atrocities had been going on for? If that something was not something in the public domain, it was something behind the scenes, perhaps even a secret that the actors involved don’t want ever emerging.
One key thing that definitely changed was the recent election of Donald Trump as US president, and the ending of the presidency of Joe Biden. Biden had also put an atbest fragile appearance of being even-handed and pressing for peace. This was despite the United States continuing to supply the weapons that were being used by the Israeli Defence Force, to kill so many largely defenceless and innocent men, women and children.
For many watching the horror played out daily on our TV screens, it was frankly bizarre to see Biden repeatedly complain that too many civilians were being killed, yet to do little to nothing to stop supplying the very weapons that were inflicting the carnage.
Palestinians transport belongings in Gaza’s Rafah last Wednesday (22), following a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas
Indeed, one of the reasons the Democrats may have lost the election was the desertion of the vote sympathetic to the Palestinian plight. Opinion polls across the world show support for the Palestinians by the ‘man on the street’, while ruling classes, in contrast, seem to support Israel.
The role of the United States is crucial to understanding this Middle East conflict. It is not clear whether the average North American voter really cares that much about an issue so removed geographically from their shores. Yet, the perception around the rest of the world is that the Israeli/Jewish lobby appears to have hijacked the US economy to serve a small state thousands of miles away.
But, given the decisive role of US supplied military and financial assistance to Israel, then the American president has always had the power to bring Israel to the negotiating table and introduce a ceasefire. The fact they have not used that power, is because, it would appear to the rest of the world, that they have tacitly supported the expressed aim of Israel to kill a lot of Palestinians. This goal is a step along the way to prevent a two-state solution and indeed to drive the Palestinians from their ancestral land.
Given Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu’s explicit opposition to a two-state solution and his view of the whole area as part of Israel, it follows there must be a policy of ethnic cleansing.
A ceasefire clearly doesn’t serve that purpose. Also, it doesn’t make logical sense to agree to a ceasefire if you believe you can win and are indeed winning the war. This is what the Israelis believe.
So, if a ceasefire makes no sense from their perspective, why did they agree to it?
The answer surely has something to do with the one thing that has changed, and that is Trump’s election to the Oval Office.
Given the new US president is no friend of the Palestinians, they why did he apply pressure behind the scenes to produce a ceasefire?
The answer has to be that covertly he has, in exchange for a ceasefire, which made him look statesman like at his inauguration, and much more effective than his adversary, who he has nothing but disdain for, Biden, therefore, he must have made sweeping and unprecedented promises to the Israelis. In exchange for these, they agreed to go through the theatre of a temporary ceasefire.
We are seeing some of those promises. He has agreed to restart the supply to Israel of weapons which even Biden blocked, because they were too powerful. He has ended sanctions against settlers on the West Bank who had exercised lethal force against Palestinians.
All of these, from a Palestinian perspective, were ominous developments from the get-go.
Now Trump has made off-the-cuff remarks about expelling all of the Palestinians from Gaza and relocating them in Jordan or Egypt. Both countries have rejected this bizarre proposal.
Donald Trump
Basically, given Trump has been such a significant and powerful influence, he was able to produce a ceasefire agreement in just weeks, which eluded the capability of Biden for a year, this means the future of the ceasefire and the region, depends on whatever is motivating Trump. He has clearly promised the Israelis massive support for their apparently ruthless anti-Palestinian policy in the future in exchange for temporary respite that made Trump look good and that also got hostages back.
No ceasefire can endure when the underlying issues remain unresolved. Also, it cannot pertain as long as the Israelis remain convinced that they have a chance of ultimate victory. To believe that, they have to also be convinced in the unwavering support from the US, no matter what atrocity they commit. It would appear that behind-the-scenes Trump has given them those assurances.
Any president in their final term of office begins to become obsessed with their legacy. Trump would like to be seen to be the world leader who finally resolved several planetary problems. He has a messianic view of himself as chosen by god to perform miracles. He is primarily selfserving and also suffers from a prickly sensitivity to the idea of not being popular.
He is also capricious, so the Israelis may be cautious about taking his support for granted.
Trump also exhibits the psychology of the bully. He will take Greenland and the Panama Canal, because these are small countries who have little chance of standing up the might of the US.
Trump may indeed take the same view of Israel, which is in reality, a similarly small country. Biden put up with being bullied by Netanyahu, but will Trump?
Trump falls out with everyone sooner or later, even apparently close friends. Given his complex psychology it is possible he may be the first US president to fall out publicly and fundamentally with Israel.
This may be the only hope for the Palestinian people.
Dr Raj Persaud is a consultant psychiatrist, broadcaster and author of books about psychiatry
His Highness Prince Rahim Aga Khan V
Anurag Bajpayee's Gradiant: The water company tackling a global crisis
In a world increasingly defined by scarcity, one resource is emerging as the most quietly decisive factor in the future of industry, sustainability, and even geopolitics: water. Yet, while the headlines are dominated by energy transition and climate pledges, few companies working behind the scenes on water issues have attracted much public attention. One of them is Gradiant, a Boston-based firm that has, over the past decade, grown into a key player in the underappreciated but critical sector of industrial water treatment.
A Company Born from MIT, and from Urgency
Founded in 2013 by Anurag Bajpayee and Prakash Govindan, two researchers with strong ties to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Gradiant began as a scrappy start-up with a deceptively simple premise: make water work harder. At a time when discussions about climate change were centred almost exclusively on carbon emissions and renewable energy, the trio saw water scarcity looming in the background.
Their insight was that some of the world’s largest industries—semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, food and beverage—were facing acute water-related challenges long before the general public grasped the issue. “Without water, these industries don’t just slow down; they stop,” Bajpayee has often remarked. What Gradiant offered was not just a way to save water, but a way to rethink how it is used, recycled, and valued.
The Engineers Behind the Mission
Anurag Bajpayee, the company’s CEO, whose academic path took him to MIT, where he completed a PhD in Mechanical Engineering focused on water treatment technologies. It was there that he met Govindan, a fellow engineer and now Gradiant's co-founder and COO, whose expertise complemented his in fluid mechanics and process engineering.
Unlike many founders who drift towards the language of venture capital and corporate strategy, Anurag Bajpayee and his team remained grounded in the technical problem: how to make industrial water treatment more efficient, more affordable, and more sustainable. The company still bears the imprint of its founders’ engineering roots. Gradiant is less Silicon Valley startup and more MIT lab, albeit one that has quietly expanded across Asia, the Middle East, Europe and North America.
What Gradiant Actually Does
The company specializes in designing and building bespoke water treatment and reuse systems for industrial clients. Its technologies are aimed at enabling factories and plants to reclaim water that would otherwise be discarded as waste, reducing both the amount of water withdrawn from natural sources and the volume of contaminated water discharged.
At the heart of Gradiant’s portfolio are proprietary technologies such as Counter Flow Reverse Osmosis (CFRO), Carrier Gas Extraction (CGE) and Selective Ion Recovery (SIR), developed from the Gradiant founders’ early research at MIT. Unlike traditional methods like reverse osmosis, these systems are designed to handle highly contaminated or complex wastewater streams, enabling clients to extract clean water even from previously unusable sources.
But Gradiant does not sell “one-size-fits-all” machines. Each project is tailored to the customer’s unique needs. For a semiconductor plant in Singapore, this might mean achieving ultrapure water reuse levels of 98%; for a food and beverage factory in Texas, it might be about safely treating wastewater for discharge while minimising energy consumption. The company's approach—sometimes called "solutioneering" internally—is both its competitive advantage and its raison d'être.
Expansion Without the Usual Hype
Gradiant’s growth has been quietly impressive. From its first commercial project in the oil and gas sector, it has gone on to complete over 500 installations worldwide. The company has raised more than $400 million in funding from a mix of institutional investors and private equity firms, achieving so-called “unicorn” status, with a valuation reportedly over $1 billion.
Unlike many green tech firms, Gradiant’s expansion has not been accompanied by flashy marketing campaigns or grandiose statements. Instead, the company has preferred to build credibility client by client, particularly in Asia, where water-intensive industries and growing environmental pressures make its services indispensable. Anurag Bajpayee, never one to speak in superlatives, frames the company’s expansion as a “response to urgent need” rather than a triumph of business.
Inside Gradiant’s Operations
At its core, Gradiant is still an engineering-first company. Anurag Bajpayee and Govindan, both technically trained and heavily involved in the company’s operations, have instilled a culture where R&D is not just a department but the lifeblood of the business. The firm currently holds more than 250 patents globally, a testament to its ongoing commitment to innovation.
But Gradiant’s success is not just about technology. The company has differentiated itself by offering not just equipment but full-service solutions, including project design, construction, operations, and maintenance. This full-stack approach has been particularly attractive to clients in highly regulated industries, who need water management solutions that work seamlessly and reliably without requiring deep in-house expertise.
Gradiant’s clients include some of the world’s largest manufacturers, including Fortune 500 companies in sectors like microelectronics, pharmaceuticals, and energy. Some, like semiconductor producers, rely on Gradiant to help them meet stringent water reuse targets while maintaining ultra-clean production environments.
Navigating a Changing World
Gradiant operates at the intersection of several converging trends: climate change, regulatory pressure, and industrial decarbonisation. In many regions, water scarcity has become the limiting factor for industrial growth, sometimes more than energy availability or supply chain constraints.
While public attention often focuses on domestic water use, it is industries that consume the lion’s share of freshwater. Gradiant's pitch is straightforward: industries will have to do more with less, and Gradiant offers the tools to make that possible.
Anurag Bajpayee is keenly aware of the paradox that water, despite being vital, is often underpriced and undervalued, especially when compared to energy. “We don’t pay what it’s worth, only what it costs,” he told an audience at a recent conference. Yet, the landscape is shifting. Regulators, investors, and companies themselves are increasingly acknowledging water as both a business risk and a social responsibility.
What's Next for Gradiant?
Looking ahead, Gradiant appears poised to play a central role as industries adapt to water scarcity. Yet, Anurag Bajpayee remains cautious about the hype cycle. "The problem we’re working on isn’t going anywhere," he says. "It’s not a question of innovation alone, but of execution—of making sure these solutions actually reach the places that need them most."
In an era where water risk is increasingly material to business, Gradiant’s quiet, technically grounded approach may prove to be exactly what is needed.
(The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Eastern Eye. The publication does not endorse or take responsibility for the accuracy of any statements made by the author.)