NYT’s Friedman Accuses Netanyahu of Steering Trump Toward Clash with Iran

By Staff, Agencies

Prominent American columnist Thomas Friedman has cautioned that “Israeli” prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu is leveraging US President Donald Trump and parts of the American Jewish community to pursue contentious political aims, including heightening tensions with Iran.

Writing in The New York Times, Friedman argued that Netanyahu is misleading both Trump and American Jews. He used stark language to suggest that Washington risks being manipulated if it fails to recognize what he views as strategic deception, accusing Netanyahu of distorting reality to mask his true objectives.

According to Friedman, Netanyahu is intentionally redirecting US attention toward a potential confrontation with Iran to divert scrutiny from developments in the occupied West Bank and “Israel’s” broader posture in Gaza.

He noted that Netanyahu recently traveled to the White House for discussions centered on Iran. At a time when indirect contacts between Tehran and Washington appeared to be moving in a constructive direction, analysts cited by Friedman suggested the visit aimed to disrupt diplomatic momentum.

The commentary comes amid intensified rhetoric from Washington and a substantial US military buildup near Iran’s coastline.

Friedman further contended that Netanyahu has encouraged US policymakers to prioritize Iran while overlooking how policies in Gaza, the West Bank, and within “Israel” itself could complicate American relations with key regional allies.

He warned that measures being advanced in the West Bank and Gaza may undermine broader US strategic interests in the Middle East and could have lasting implications for Jewish communities worldwide.

Referencing comments by former “Israeli” prime minister Ehud Olmert published in Haaretz, Friedman highlighted allegations that extremist settler groups are working to displace Palestinians in the West Bank. Olmert described these actions as a violent and unlawful campaign intended to remove Palestinians from their land to facilitate expanded Jewish settlement and potential annexation.

Friedman also cautioned that accelerating annexation efforts in the West Bank, combined with maintaining prolonged control over Gaza without extending political rights to Palestinians, would produce serious moral, demographic, and strategic repercussions.

Recently, “Israel” approved a set of far-reaching steps in the occupied West Bank that breach the framework of the Oslo Accords and amount to what critics describe as de facto annexation of Palestinian territory.

The policy shift, announced by “Israeli” finance minister Bezalel Smotrich and war minister Israel Katz, significantly reshapes governance in the West Bank. The changes pave the way for expanded settlements, increased land appropriation, and the further erosion of Palestinian civil rights.

These measures remove longstanding legal constraints on “Israeli” settlers, speed up settlement construction and broaden “Israeli” military and non-military authority into areas that had previously remained under partial Palestinian administration.