Getting back to pursuing peace in the Middle East
In September 1993, I sat with them and watched Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and the Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat shaking hands in the Rose Garden with President Clinton. I was just a high school kid, but I remember watching this group of people working on something big and important: peace in the Middle East. This was one of the moments that made me want to do public service.
My parents were teachers, and I taught as well. Improving the lives of children and families was always going to be at the heart of my work in public service. But so would be the pursuit of peace, particularly in the Middle East. We got so close in the 1990s, and I wanted to be part of the next generation of leaders that helped to make it happen.
I would go on to get a master's degree in theological studies, work in Israel for years, and make five trips to the region the first 30 months of my time in Congress.
All of this has helped me to better understand the complexities of achieving peace, appreciate the possibilities, and establish relationships with top leaders in the region. The goal: be as ready and helpful as humanly possible.
With that in mind, I hope that I have some credibility when I say, I believe we are in a critical moment in terms of our pursuit for peace.
The strikes on the Iranian enrichment sites, while risky, could be a major step toward preventing the regime from developing a nuclear weapon. It was a targeted strike — to prevent war — and an attempt to stop what could be a truly catastrophic event.
Reports on the effectiveness of the strikes vary. Having read initial intelligence reports, and appreciating what others, including the director of the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as the Iranian regime, say, it's clear that significant damage has been done to the regime's quest for a nuclear weapon.
Americans do agree the Iranian regime should not get a nuclear weapon. It would not just be an existential threat to Israel and others in the Middle East, but a clear and present danger to the entire world and our national security.
No one wants another prolonged war in the Middle East. This is not Iraq. It can't be. We know the Iranian regime is pursuing a nuclear weapon, and no one is pushing for ground forces or seriously considering regime change.
But this is a moment of real possibility. Israel has diminished significantly the regime's most dangerous terrorist armies, Hamas and Hezbollah. They have degraded the Iranian regime's nuclear program, missile production capabilities, missile firing capabilities and regime infrastructure in ways few thought possible.
By taking out the regime's air defenses, Israel opened the door for the administration to do what only the U.S. is capable of doing — deliver the bunker-busters needed to severely damage the heavily fortified nuclear sites.
The strategic dynamic in the Middle East has changed, and we should pursue every diplomatic effort available to foster peace between Israel and the Palestinians and a stable, peaceful future for the Middle East.
Based on my genuine commitment to a lasting peace, and my own experiences and understanding of the situation, I hope Republicans and Democrats will seize this moment and come together in the following ways.
First, we need to do this together. Trump should have notified key Democrats in Congress, not just top Republicans, of the operation. Still, the administration can now come to Congress with a straightforward, fact-based, intelligence assessment that will enable us all, Democrats and Republicans, to inform our next decisions in a bipartisan way.
Of course, this has to include bipartisan intelligence and security briefings. The administration cannot hold intelligence back from Congress, and it should shoot straight with the American people. Trust plays a major role in moments like these.
Second, we need a clear vision for a lasting peace from the president and other key leaders. One that gets the regime in Iran to pursue a civilian program, remove all the enriched uranium, accept around-the-clock inspections, and dismantle the terror armies that have been primary obstacles to peace in the region.
We must also help end the war in Gaza. We need to work with Israel, bringing in additional international partners, to help make this happen: adding more pressure on Hamas to release the hostages and help Israel and Gazans end Hamas' reign in Gaza.
Third, we need the administration to build the broadest possible coalition for peace. We need world leaders, particularly in Europe and the Middle East, to join this effort. With the Iranian regime no longer pursuing a nuclear weapon or supporting their proxy armies — Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis — we can give the Israelis, Palestinians, Lebanese, Syrians and others the space to establish real security, to rebuild, and to invest in a renewed peace process.
Israel has made peace with Egypt, Jordan, UAE and Bahrain. We have to build on this to include the Saudis, Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinians. Only the broadest coalition possible, with a compelling vision and path forward, will get this done.
Fourth, the administration needs to dedicate additional leadership to this work. To date, one person, Steve Witkoff, has been working on this issue. He's also working on a ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia, among other things. They're stretched too thin. We need more people — serious leaders — focused entirely on getting this done.
Finally, Congress should establish a Congressional Commission on Middle East Peace. This would be a standing, bipartisan and bicameral effort. We need ongoing and focused leadership in Congress to tackle an issue as complex as this one.
This will be hard. But since that September day in 1993, the destination has always been peace, and the past two weeks have brought us closer to that goal.
Greg Landsman, a Democrat, represents Ohio's 1st District in the U.S. House of Representatives.
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