From the article: “...The New York Times​ foreign affairs columnist Thomas L. Friedman, who has a deep altruistic urge to bring peace to the Middle East.”
Friedman is another socialism impaired Jew, what one may accurately dub “an Offen Juden”. As with vastly too many Jews, Friedman follows those deluded Jews who survived the ovens of Nazi Germany and went to Israel (and America) but kept more faith with socialism than the Torah.
Note carefully, that G*d gave specific commands to the Jews regarding how the Canaanites were to be dealt with. The Jews decided they knew better than G*d and did not follow his commandments. Surprise, surprise, surprise - G*d knew more about those Canaanites than the Jews.
Had the Jews followed G*d’s commandments, the MidEast would now have no Arabs.
Anyone casually discounting the possibility of the existence of Divine Wisdom need only remember G*d’s insight into the basic nature of those who are now known as Arabs.
Arabs aren't Canaanites, they're long gone, though you're correct it not a result of obeying Commandments.