At long last, I hope policymakers in Washington have come to understand a reality that has too often been ignored: the road to regional normalization runs through Ramallah, not Tehran. The recent campaign against Iran only reinforced a fundamental strategic lesson. Despite repeated claims to the contrary, the prospects for meaningful normalization between Israel and key Arab states, particularly Saudi Arabia, remain extremely limited without tangible progress on the Palestinian track. The Palestinian Authority undoubtedly suffers from serious shortcomings and requires significant reforms. Yet it remains the internationally recognized representative of the Palestinian people and the only viable political framework through which a sustainable solution can be pursued. There is no realistic path to stability in either Gaza or the West Bank that bypasses the PA. While reform is necessary, making reform a precondition for any political progress risks turning it into an excuse for indefinite paralysis. More broadly, the unresolved Palestinian issue continues to provide Iran with one of its most effective tools for regional influence. Tehran has long exploited the Palestinian cause to justify its intervention across the Middle East, strengthen its network of proxies, and challenge the legitimacy of Arab governments pursuing closer ties with Israel. Genuine political progress between Israelis and Palestinians would significantly weaken this narrative, strengthen the foundations for Saudi-Israeli normalization, It would also help repair and strengthen Israel’s increasingly fragile ties with Jordan and Egypt as Both governments face significant domestic and regional pressures related to the Palestinian issue, making progress on the Palestinian track essential not only for future normalization efforts, but also for preserving and deepening Israel’s existing strategic partnerships in the Arab world. and increase pressure on Iran as regional actors move toward greater cooperation. Conversely, when Israel avoids meaningful movement on the Palestinian issue and allows the diplomatic process to stagnate, it inadvertently serves the interests of Iran and the so-called “Axis of Resistance.” The absence of a political horizon creates opportunities for Tehran to present itself as the primary defender of Palestinian aspirations and to expand its regional influence. The immediate priority should be the creation of a credible political horizon. This requires advancing confidence-building measures, preventing unilateral actions that could fundamentally alter realities on the ground, and reestablishing meaningful political dialogue between the parties. These steps alone will not resolve the conflict, but they are essential for restoring the conditions necessary for future diplomacy. Ironically, the confrontation with Iran demonstrated precisely why the Palestinian issue cannot be sidelined. Military pressure on Tehran may constrain some of its capabilities, but it cannot substitute for a political strategy that addresses one of the region’s central sources of instability. If the United States seeks to advance a broader regional architecture centered on normalization, integration, and the containment of Iran, progress on the Palestinian issue is not optional—it is indispensable. #iran

As @ShiraEfron wrote @nytimes With all due respect to the Iranian threat, the erosion of Israel’s international legitimacy, and particularly its standing among the American public, may represent a far more serious long-term challenge to Israel’s future. Iran is not solely Israel’s problem. While Tehran remains a major security threat, even a successful effort to contain or weaken Iran would not automatically restore Israel’s international position or repair the growing damage to its global image. Israel risks finding itself in a situation where it cannot continue to focus exclusively on one challenge while neglecting another that may ultimately prove more consequential. If Israel’s next government fails to recognize that progress on the Palestinian issue is essential for preserving Israel’s international standing and halting the growing backlash against it in the United States, and instead continues to prioritize Iran above all else, it may discover that many of the partners it has come to rely upon are less willing to provide diplomatic support in times of crisis. This includes not only Europe and key Arab states, but also important constituencies within both the Democratic and Republican parties in the United States. Ironically, the shortcomings exposed by the confrontation with Iran should reinforce the need for a broader strategic perspective. Military and intelligence achievements alone cannot substitute for diplomatic legitimacy. Israel’s long-term security depends not only on its ability to deter adversaries, but also on its ability to maintain strong international partnerships and political support among its closest allies mainlythe US. Similarly, if political change ultimately comes to Iran, it will be driven primarily by the Iranian people themselves rather than by external military pressure. Policymakers in Israel should therefore abandon unrealistic expectations about rapid regime change and focus instead on strengthening Israel’s diplomatic position and regional integration. From this perspective, continued governance over millions of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank does little to advance Israel’s strategic interests internationally. Regardless of how the confrontation with Iran evolves, addressing the Palestinian issue remains critical to restoring Israel’s diplomatic standing, preserving bipartisan support in Washington, and ensuring that Israel is not increasingly isolated on the global stage. The central lesson is that Israel’s future will be shaped not only by its ability to confront Iran, but also by its ability to address the political and diplomatic challenges that are steadily undermining its legitimacy. It is also worth recognizing that progress toward resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict would directly erode one of Iran’s most effective sources of regional legitimacy. Tehran has consistently used the Palestinian issue to justify its interventionist policies, cultivate support among Arab and Muslim publics, and position itself as a champion of resistance against the regional order. Any credible political process that addresses Palestinian aspirations would make it significantly more difficult for Iran to sustain that narrative and would reduce its ability to weaponize the issue for geopolitical gain. #IranWar‌