The Case for a Zero-Daylight Policy Toward Israel

What does victory look like for America’s war with Iran - and does it look the same for Israel?

Over the past two months, President Trump has worked patiently to try to secure a deal with the Iranian regime that delivers for the American people; unfortunately, to no avail. For those of us familiar with the mullahs’ modus operandi, this was hardly surprising. Iran excels at stringing the West along to give it time to shore up its own position. That included continuing to use its proxies in Lebanon to attack Israel – a situation that demanded retaliation from Israel, but which reportedly created tensions as the Trump Administration pursued its elusive deal with the Iranians.

News of a rift between Washington and Jerusalem was music to the ears of anti-Israel figures on both the left and right, who have tried to paint Israel’s righteous self-defense as a deliberate attempt to scupper a diplomatic solution. But there’s only one country that’s making a negotiated settlement impossible: Iran, which has continually violated the ceasefire and has zero interest in peace.

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It’s worth reflecting upon just how much America and Israel have achieved by working together in both Operation Epic Fury and in last June’s 12-Day War. Iran’s nuclear program, military capabilities, and ability to project power throughout the region have suffered devastating losses. Its political and military leadership has been decapitated. The economy is in shambles, and the people of Iran are thoroughly fed up with this murderous, thieving, and incompetent regime. In short, this enemy of the United States is at risk of total collapse - and that is entirely thanks to the US-Israeli alliance.

The usual suspects on the anti-Israel right have argued that President Trump was somehow dragged into this war by Israel. This notion is predicated on two patently false assumptions: 1. That President Trump can be duped into taking a path he doesn’t want to pursue; and 2. That Israel and America do not share a fundamental interest in seeing the Iranian regime completely defanged. Much as we may have tried to pretend otherwise, the Iranian regime has been at war with the U.S. and Israel throughout its 47-year history. The President and Prime Minister Netanyahu rightly concluded that this status quo was unacceptable.

Now comes the hard part: seeing that decision through. Neither the U.S. nor Israel can afford to leave space for the Iranian dictatorship to declare any kind of victory, let alone live to fight another day. We must continue to ensure that there is zero daylight between our two nations as we continue to pursue our objectives.

Remember: America’s alliance with Israel is one of our strongest – and most critical – partnerships. This isn’t an accident. Both countries are democracies, fiercely protective of our right to self-determination; both seek a world order in which our people can build ever freer, safer, and more prosperous futures; both are grounded in the Judeo (and in America’s case, Judeo-Christian) tradition; and both truly do appear to be evidence of God’s Providence. Israel has delivered enormous dividends for our investment in their security: systematically destroying the “Ring of Fire” of Iranian proxies that have wreaked havoc across the region for decades, and setting the stage for the transformation of this critical region.

In short, the battles they have fought are our battles, and we are incredibly fortunate to have them as an ally. We cannot afford to lose sight of those achievements - and must do our utmost to bring this war to the only acceptable conclusion: victory for the United States and Israel.

Take action with the ACLJ. Sign our petition: Stand with Israel. Defend Israel.