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From Prime Minister Netanyahu’s visit to the White House and Ambassador Mike Huckabee’s confirmation in the Senate, to Iran’s belligerence and Turkey’s military operations, it’s been a busy week.
Washington
On Wednesday, the Senate voted to approve Mike Huckabee’s nomination to serve as the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel. Shortly after Mr. Huckabee was reported favorably out of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, CUFI launched an Action Alert asking Senators to support the nomination. CUFI strongly welcomes the new Ambassador’s advancement out of the Senate, though we are dismayed at the level of partisanship in the vote.
Ambassador Huckabee is an excellent choice for the post. He is the right man for the job during this time of conflict and turmoil.
As CUFI Action Fund Chairwoman Sandra Parker noted in her statement following the Senate vote, “Ambassador Huckabee is a lifelong friend to Israel, and we have every confidence that he will not only strengthen the alliance but will help Israel bring the war in Gaza to an appropriate end and stabilize the region.”
Turkey
For years, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has dreamed of a new Ottoman Empire. Likewise, for years, Turkey has engaged militarily in Syria through the Orwellian named “Syrian National Army” (the SNA isn’t any of those things), and at times, Turkey’s military has engaged directly.
Recently, Turkish military personnel were in Syria, scoping out former Syrian army bases to set up shop. Sadly for them, the Israelis effectively destroyed the relevant bases.
President Erdogan is, as President Trump has noted, “smart,” but Erdogan is evil. We respect President Trump’s Oval Office offer to Mr. Netanyahu to mediate the dispute between Israel and Turkey, but we should not forget why that dispute exists.
Turkey has, for decades, hosted Hamas terrorists, killed America’s Kurdish allies, and grown ever closer to Moscow and Beijing.
Under President Erdogan, Turkey is not our ally, it is not a true democracy, and it is not Israel’s equal at the negotiating table. To mediate between a wannabe neo-Ottoman strongman and Jerusalem is laudable, so long as it’s done with clear eyes. And so long as Turkey remains an enemy of the West, in line with President Trump’s robust approach to negotiations and refusal to be hoodwinked by foreign powers, Ankara should receive no advanced weaponry from the U.S. – including and especially not the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Iran
A decade ago, a CUFI staffer authored an op-ed blasting the then Obama Administration for their compartmentalization of the Iran’s nuclear program, ignoring the regime’s support for terrorism and human rights abuses. As CUFI wrote all those years ago:
Any nuclear deal with Iran that ignores Tehran’s belligerence legitimizes that behavior. By compartmentalizing the nuclear issue, the White House is overlooking the very reasons the world is so concerned with the prospect of a nuclear-armed Iran… If the White House provides comprehensive sanctions relief to Iran while the mullahs continue to attack American allies, then we will be aiding and abetting an Iranian expansionism which will inevitably lead to war.
That war began on October 7th, but we do not yet know if it has reached its apex.
In recent weeks and months, Iran has been increasing its production of highly enriched uranium; the only reason to do this is to build a nuclear bomb.
On Monday, President Trump informed the world that the U.S. is engaging in direct talks with Iran and that this weekend, there will be a significant meeting on the topic.
President Trump has taken a (welcome) robust posture towards Tehran, effectively telling the regime that they can either dismantle their nuclear program themselves or Western militaries will do it for them.
On the nuclear issue, Jerusalem remains rightly skeptical that any negotiations can bear fruit, but Prime Minister Netanyahu has struck a cautiously optimistic, if realistic, tone.
“If it can be done diplomatically, in a full way, the way it was done in Libya, I think that would be a good thing,” Netanyahu said.
As we noted at the top, a busy few days. And we recognize that at times, it may feel like Israel is being forced to play whack-a-mole: Once Hamas is destroyed, then Jerusalem is forced to go after Hezbollah; once Iran is knocked back, Turkey rears its imperialist head.
We won’t pretend that isn’t the case. When you’re surrounded by enemies, such is your challenge. Nor, however, will we throw up our hands. Quite the opposite. Yes, Israel is fighting on multiple fronts, and yes, new challenges arise daily. But rather than deterring her supporters, Israel’s reality should inspire further action from those who stand with the Jewish state.
Sincerely,
The CUFI Action Fund Team |
