Thomas Friedman, New York Times columnist and author in the newspaper’s Washington, DC bureau. Photograph Source: Michael Geissinger – Public Domain

“I am convinced that Bibi understands…that by significantly weakening Hezbollah and Iran, he has helped set in motion the possibility for Lebanon and Syria to restore their sovereignty and unity. I think he is ready to complete Israel’s withdrawal [from Lebanon] and finalize the border….”

– Thomas Friedman, “How Trump Can Remake the Middle East,” New York Times, January 21, 2025,

Thomas Friedman, the New York Times’ most influential columnist, has comprehensively recorded his dreamscape for the Middle East. It tells Donald Trump that “you have a chance to reshape this region in ways that could fundamentally enhance the peace and prosperity of Israelis, Palestinians and all the region’s people, as well as the national security interests of America.” Friedman believes that Benjamin Netanyahu is “ready to complete Israel’s withdrawal and finalize the border” with Lebanon, and that the United States has an “enormous opportunity to truly end the civil war [in Lebanon] and put the country back together.” Finally, he produces a threat: Iran’s nuclear program and malign regional strategy need to be eliminated, and if Trump can’t do this through “peaceful negotiations,” it needs to be “done kinetically.” That’s right: Friedman is willing to commit the United States to a war against Iran.

Friedman’s dreamscape for the Middle East makes no sense on any level. Even former secretary of state Antony Blinken eventually........

© CounterPunch