Netanyahu’s gift marks ‘historic horizon’ for Mideast peace

When Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu visited President Donald Trump at the White House Monday, he celebrated his country’s victory over the Islamic Republic of Iran — after a brief but intense 12-day war — with an unusual gift.

“I want to present to you, Mr. President, the letter I sent to the Nobel Prize committee,” Netanyahu told Trump, handing over a sealed envelope. “It’s the nomination of you for the Peace Prize, which is well-deserved. And you should get it.”

Netanyahu, his generals and his spymasters pulled off a remarkable feat when they launched a surprise attack against the Iranian regime last month.

Israel had complete air superiority as it freely struck Iranian nuclear and military sites.

But Israel’s war would never have ended as it did had Trump not dispatched American B-2 bombers to drop 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on three Iranian nuclear sites — capabilities Israel lacked.

The moment Trump unleashed them was the moment the Iranian regime capitulated.

Now, Trump says, Iran’s clerical leaders wish to discuss an end to hostilities, as the regime that famously called for “death to America” seems to cower before America’s might.

A lot could go sideways, but a weakened regime in Iran is a potential game-changer for the entire Middle East — and, as Netanyahu’s Nobel nomination suggests, for the prospects of a lasting peace.

The Iranian regime has cast a dark shadow over most of the region since its inception in 1979.

It has waged war against America’s allies across the Middle East, and its terrorist proxies have destabilized one country after another.

Now, thanks to Trump, the regime in Tehran is reeling, and the Israelis, over the course of more than 600 days of war, have neutralized those proxies.

This leaves the region ripe for change. We’re already seeing the early signs.

Peace between Israel and Syria is now on the horizon, Trump noted Monday as he and Netanyahu spoke to the press.

After the collapse of the Bashar al-Assad regime in December, Syria’s new leader, purportedly reformed jihadist Ahmad al-Sharaa, declared his intent to normalize relations with Israel.

On Tuesday, the State Department dropped its official designation of al-Sharaa’s Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham group as a foreign terrorist organization, a major step toward the normalization goal.

Remarkably, Trump now believes that other Middle Eastern states may soon follow Syria’s lead.

Of course, sealing a relationship between Israel and Saudi Arabia would be the president’s crowning achievement. Trump drew remarkably close to closing that deal during his first term, but fell just short.

Now, the Saudis are drawing near to it again, with senior Riyadh officials meeting with Trump at the White House just days ago.

Hamas, the terrorist group that once ruled the Gaza Strip, is now perhaps the greatest challenge for Trump’s vision for a new Middle East.

The Iran-backed proxy has been badly beaten by Israel, but it still stubbornly refuses to release 50 Israeli hostages (20 of them thought to be still living) to end the war. It remains to be seen whether Steven Witkoff, Trump’s chief negotiator, can wear down Hamas at the bargaining table.

In the meantime, Trump appears to be making plans to find alternative futures for the people of Gaza.

Speaking with Netanyhau Monday, Trump hinted at Arab states’ growing willingness to provide new leadership in the Gaza Strip, even floating the possibility of offering Gazans a choice to relocate.

In Iran, in Syria, in Saudi Arabia, and perhaps even in Gaza, the region may be on the precipice of an “historic horizon,” in the words of US Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee. 

While Huckabee, the first evangelical Christian to represent America in the Holy Land, is inspired by faith, the major players appear to be responding to hard power.

We’ll soon see how successfully Trump and Netanyahu can wield that hard power, and leverage the victories they’ve achieved, to help forge a more prosperous and peaceful Middle East.

Jonathan Schanzer is executive director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. Follow him on X @JSchanzer.