This article was written by Sandra Hagee Parker, the Chairwoman of the Christians United for Israel Action Fund (CUFI Action Fund), based in Washington DC, and was originally published in the JNS.
In the Trump 2.0 era, as we embrace “peace through strength” and ending never-ending wars, let us remember that strength is not a precursor to conflict but a commitment to deter those who threaten our allies and ourselves.
We are at war with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Since its inception, the regime has orchestrated kidnappings, murders and terror attacks against Americans, both civilians and U.S. service members, directly and through its proxies: Hezbollah, Hamas and the numerous Iraqi Shia “militias.”
Now, here we are in a post-Oct. 7 world, and Israel—our greatest friend and ally—is valiantly fighting these very proxies. Tehran has not felt this vulnerable in decades. The decimation of Hamas and Hezbollah has shown the extent of Israel’s determination to destroy them and opened the door to shutting down the tyrants in Tehran before they acquire nuclear weapons. This, however, requires the United States and Israel to stand beside each other without equivocation.
Fortunately, U.S. President Donald Trump is pulling Washington closer to Jerusalem, where it belongs, having recognized the moral, strategic and economic value of providing Israel with the kind of political and military backing long promised but never fully delivered.
Trump has signed a presidential memorandum restoring maximum pressure on Iran against a backdrop of Jerusalem—laying bare the weaknesses in the Islamic Republic’s integrated air-defense system—and Israel is once again receiving long-promised weapons and aid.
This is an essential step that will pay immediate dividends. But this pressure campaign is not complete until we ensure that Israel has what it needs to protect itself from any future retaliation from Tehran.
As part of the broader Trump 2.0 vision, the United States must renew the current security assistance agreement, scaled accordingly, giving Israel more support than the Obama administration did and doing so in a timely manner.
Critically, Congress holds the key to making this renewal swift and decisive. Democrats and Republicans standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel understand that real deterrence is about making sure that our ally is never outgunned or isolated, and demonstrating in as many ways as possible that decades of chanting “Death to America” will never be realized.
Further, Trump can achieve peace through strength by making it unambiguously clear that any Israeli action would be defensive in nature—yet if Iran attacks or responds, America will stand firmly behind Israel with more than just words.
These commitments will safeguard that Israel’s “quiver” remains full, especially after enduring its longest war. Jerusalem must be equipped as never before to defend itself as it sees fit against an enemy larger and more lethal than any other in its history. Likewise, Israel must be confident that its closest ally will never capitulate to Iranian threats or worse.
Those who prefer to endure a forever war of attrition rather than having the Islamic Republic join Haman, Hitler and Haniyeh in the dustbin of history are failing to see the opportunity in front of the United States to set the world on a path of peace in the 21st century under Trump’s leadership.
Washington cannot follow the well-worn path of previous administrations that appeased Iran with a doomed-to-fail nuclear agreement, legitimized Hezbollah by looking the other way as it coopted numerous elements of the Lebanese Armed Forces and applauded Qatar as its rials infiltrated our colleges and universities, while simultaneously funding Palestinian terrorists to the tune of billions.
We did not ask for it, but since its inception, the Islamic Republic has been at war with the West. The war can end, but Washington must project true resolve and determination at every turn.
With the world rightly united against the use of nuclear weapons, let us empower Israel—and stand ready ourselves—so that Iran’s regime grasps a simple truth: We will not hesitate to defend ourselves or our allies. True peace hinges on strength, and we must exhibit both in earnest, today and always. And just as strength is not a precursor to war, neither does bombing Iran start a never-ending conflict; in fact, it stops the war that started the day the Islamic Republic was born.
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