Thomas Friedman argues in the New York Times that two recent images capture the failures of Israel's strategy under Benjamin Netanyahu. The first shows an Israeli soldier using a sledgehammer to destroy a statue of Jesus in Debel, a Lebanese village. The second depicts right-wing ministers celebrating a new settlement in the West Bank. These incidents, Friedman writes, represent an approach of "smashing" threats with military force while offering no diplomatic vision for lasting peace.

The columnist contends this approach risks isolating Israel internationally. He points to comments from moderate Democrats like Rahm Emanuel, who recently questioned continued U.S. military aid to Israel at a televised event. Friedman argues that without progress toward a two-state solution, Israel cannot achieve normalization with Saudi Arabia or durable peace with Lebanon and Syria. He notes that Netanyahu has consistently worked to undermine any Palestinian statehood effort.

Friedman proposes what he calls the "Trump Plan to Save Lebanon" — pushing Israel to completely withdraw from south Lebanon while NATO troops help secure the area in partnership with the Lebanese Army. He argues this would deny Hezbollah its justification for attacks while avoiding repeated Israeli invasions. The piece notes Lebanon currently has its "most decent, pluralistic-minded" leadership since its civil war in President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.