Just how big is the killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar? "It is impossible to exaggerate the importance," writes New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman. The immediate aftermath of his death could usher in the end of the war in Gaza, as well as the return of Israeli hostages. In the bigger picture, it might pave the way to a two-state solution for lasting peace, as well as a normalization of relations between Israel and Saudi Arabia and thus "pretty much the entire Muslim world," he writes. "It's that big." His column details how all of the above could enfold—it involves a reformed Palestinian Authority—but it's all contingent on Benjamin Netanyahu and whether he can "live up to his Churchillian self-image."
Netanyahu's "extremist messianic right-wing partners" will see Sinwar's death as a sign that Israel should only get more aggressive by trying to wipe out all of Hamas and further expand Israeli settlements, Friedman writes, adding that they'll resist the idea of Palestinian statehood. It's up to the prime minister to defy them, he notes. "Netanyahu has long wanted to show that he is a historic figure, not just a tactician always maneuvering to stay alive politically—but never ready to take a big risk to change history," writes Friedman. "Well, this is his moment." (Read the full column.)
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