He already posted a response to criticism almost a week ago: https://www.nytimes.com/live/2024/02/06/opinion/thepoint/friedman-blog-post?smid=url-share

EDIT: Adding the text

The Value of Listening

One of my writing techniques has always been to employ metaphors to explain complex issues. In a blog post last week, I explained the behavior of the United States, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards, Hamas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others by arguing that the way they operate in certain situations mirrors that of particular species.

Some readers from the region and elsewhere found it illuminating and told me so. Other readers, including respected colleagues, didn’t, and told me that any use of animal or insect species to describe people or discuss the highly charged issue of the Israeli-Hamas war is dehumanizing and unhelpful. They cited instances in which such analogies have been used as racist tropes. My goal is always to provide insight into this area of the world and its peoples, whom I care deeply about. And that means always listening to the criticism, as well as the praise.

One can’t be a columnist — or a reader — calling on combatants to hear the other side if you don’t model it yourself. So, this is not a hard call for me. If invoking a metaphor or image alienates and angers part of my audience, I know I used the wrong metaphor. I don’t mind angering readers some days — that comes with the job — but I would never want to leave anyone feeling insulted, even if I hit the mark with others.

This is a painful conflict that has so many people feeling raw. The most useful lesson I learned as a journalist covering the Middle East on and off for some 45 years is to try to be a good listener. Because two things happen when I listen: One is that I learn when I listen. But much more important is what you say when you listen. That’s because listening is a sign of respect.

I found over the years that it was amazing what people would let me say to them, write about them or ask them about — if they thought that I respected them. And if they thought that I didn’t respect them, I could not tell them the sky was blue. And the way they perceived respect, first and foremost, was if you listened — not just waited for them to stop talking — but deep listening. One can never do that enough as a columnist, reporter or reader — especially today.

This is probably the closest we’ll get to an apology from a Pulitzer winning writer, unfortunately.