Historic Allies Have a Place in America First

In October 1994, I had the privilege of visiting the Middle East with President Clinton at a time when hopes for peace and prosperity in the region were high. At a ceremony at Aqaba, Jordan, attended by King Hussein, Prime Minister Abdul Sala al-Majala and his Israeli counterpart, Yitzhak Rabin, signed a peace agreement between the two countries. Afterwards, President Clinton spoke to the Jordanian Parliament. The next day, at Jerusalem, he addressed the Knesset and the Israeli people in a moving speech. Prime Minister Rabin also spoke, as did the leader of the opposition party, Benjamin Netanyahu. Little more than a year later, Rabin was assassinated, and a few months later Mr. Netanyahu was prime minister. History can unfold quickly in the Middle East.Returning to Israel earlier this month, I found that the sense of possibility that prevailed 30-plus years ago was replaced by a feeling of vulnerability balanced by great pride in the men and women of the Israeli Defense Force. I sensed this same unease on the borders with Lebanon and Syria, and at the kibbutzim and the Nova Music Festival site adjacent to Gaza, the scene of the October 7, 2023, attack on Israel by Hamas. There also was tension focused on Iran, yet another enemy who, like Hamas, wishes to wipe the Jewish state from the face of the earth. In June, during what now is known as the 12-Day War, Iran launched more than 500 missiles and 1,000 drones against Israel. That about ten percent of the missiles penetrated Israel’s famed multi-layered air defense system, causing significant damage, shocked many of its citizens.Israelis, despite their unease, are convinced that now is the time to confront the Ayatollah and his regime, which has its own vulnerabilities. There is, many believe, an opportunity to reshape the future of the Middle East with the support of America. Indeed, while I was in Israel, an American armada led by the United States Ship Abraham Lincoln, an aircraft carrier, was steaming toward the Persian Gulf amid a backdrop of increasingly threatening rhetoric between America and Iran. Last week the Pentagon announced it is deploying a second carrier group, led by the USS Gerald Ford, to the region. With the President giving Iran’s leaders two weeks to agree to sweeping American demands to eliminate its nuclear program as well as other demands, tensions are high.This position — reshaping the Middle East — might seem eerily similar to that of the American neo-conservatives of the early 2000s, when they spoke with great conviction about how the United States would reshape the region into more stable and democratic societies. As we know, the tragic events that unfolded in Iraq showed, in hindsight, that goal to be unrealistic. Yet the current affairs in the Mideast are not analogous to those that preceded the decision to invade Iraq. Today’s fight is an existential one, and not just for Israel. The past two decades have seen the dangerous growth of terrorism by Iran’s proxies in Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and other places, coupled with Tehran’s bloody suppression of protesters — a crackdown that has likely resulted in tens of thousands of deaths. The specter of nuclear weapons in the hands of Iranian fanatics represents the ultimate threat to Israel, to its neighbors, and, if the theocratic extremists are able to complete development of their nuclear and long-range missile programs, to the United States.The Trump administration and Congressional Republicans came to power by advancing an America First policy. Yet it is vital to remember that America First should — must — encompass our bonds with historic allies like Israel. Our alliances, in many instances, support nations that echo our democratic ideals. Just as importantly, though, they also serve as a bulwark against aggressors who might otherwise threaten the American homeland.The American-led response to an earlier Iranian attack on Israel underscores the power of our allies. On October 1, 2024, the United Kingdom, France, and Jordan supported the United States and Israel in destroying virtually all of the approximately 200 missiles launched by Iran.We support our close friend Israel because it is the only democracy in the Middle East, and doing so protects Americans from state sponsored terrorism. We support NATO because for more than 75 years it has protected one billion westerners from Communist aggression — 350 million of them Americans. We can no longer depend on vast oceans to protect our homeland from attack. Our partnerships with historic allies allow us to influence strategies and battlefields, far from our shores. As we navigate an increasingly dangerous world an America First policy must underscore the importance of our longstanding alliances. Today they are the best hope for the safety of America. Five recent days in Israel made this unmistakably clear.

Historic Allies Have a Place in America First

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